Across the Board

Let me show you why you have to just settle in for the long haul.

For example, tears. Tears when you are pregnant or enduring the adoption process may be emotionally driven, or physically driven, or reactionary to an event or another person's actions.

Tears in a baby may be emotionally driven or physically driven, or reactionary to an event or another person's actions.

Tears in a preschooler may be....
Tears in a latency child...
Tears in a tweener...
A teen...
A young adult

Get the idea? The challenge with parenting is not that the days are so long and the situations are so complicated. The challenge with parenting is that the problems get solved and then suddenly you're right back where you started from, in both your child and yourself.

So how do you accept the repetitive nature of parenting? Pace yourself. Change your expectations. Remind yourself eventually there will be new pleasures that will mediate the struggles and hard physical and emotional work. Commit to the sacrifice. Teach yourself to love one new part of the process every six months.
If you don't, resentment will build. Not good.
Let me know what you think.
Love,
Deborah