by Jeanne Faulkner

For every child born, there are three births – one is the baby.  The other two? The parents. It doesn’t matter if they’re first timers or experienced, younger or older, married or single, delighted or…not so much; pregnancy holds the pure potential to transform people into more compassionate, responsible and powerful versions of themselves. Or not.  Once in a while (though not often), becoming a parent has the opposite effect, and when that happens, the destruction can last a lifetime.  If pregnancy has the power to bring separate unique individuals together to create a close-knit family; it also has the power to break one down.   

Parenting and transformation are inspiring, but they’re also a lot of work.  Both cause growing pains, which many parents experience as exciting and motivating, but also as anxiety and stress. Those growing pains don’t quit when labor pains start either.  Every developmental milestone you and your children reach require parents to expand and learn, to develop new skills and insights, to improve and appreciate their sense of humor and live with a fuller, more vulnerable and generous heart.  From sleepless nights with a fussy baby to sleepless nights with a heartbroken teenager, parenting provides daily opportunities that help us to better understand our selves, our partner, our children and the world we live in.

Parent Network is embarking on a new series of articles that explore the good, the bad and the ugly parts of parenting from pregnancy through adulthood.  We’ll share insights, perspectives and advice from the best medical, mental health, education and community experts at every stage of the parenting game.  We’ll discuss how parenting works and how to cope when nothing works. Parent Network believes it takes a village to raise a parent.  We are here to be your village.

Continue on in Our Mental Health Series; Part 1; The Emotional Complexities….