Ask Marilyn
By Marilyn vos Savant
Published: September 12, 2004
My son left home at the age of 18 and is now 22 years old. He never calls. I am basically sitting here saying, “Why did I do all that: the diapers, the PTA meetings?” Are there ever any rewards to parenting? I can’t think of any.
—Linda Torres, San Francisco, Calif.
I believe that before anyone becomes a parent, he or she should view the experience of rearing children—which is often great fun—as the reward and not regard parenting as a means to an end. Parents who simply suffer the hassle of family life in the hopes that they will be rewarded with grateful lifetime companions or compassionate care-givers in old age are courting a loss on two counts: 1) They don’t realize the joy that can be found in parenting; and 2) the kids might not like those roles.
Dear Myrna:
Vance Gibson wrote: Do you have kids like that? All my children are perfectly behaved, thoughtful, wonderful little darlings who always do everything they say they will -- including paying back the money they borrow.
NOT!!!!!!!!!
Vance
Myrna wrote: That is why it was a good thing I enjoyed them when they were small, right? M
Myrna wrote: Vance, Where do you find these internet providers? Big Zoo, Go Big West, what are those? I think you just make the names up for your own company. Right?
