Dad finds parenting rewards

The news was surprising to me.

Fewer Americans see children as key to a good marriage, the headline read.

A national survey found that children ranked eighth out of nine on a list of factors that people associate with successful marriages.

As a guy who has been married for 27 years and has two daughters, I can't imagine not being a dad.

Parenting admittedly can be frustrating at times.

But it has its rewards.

For one thing, it gives you a good excuse to act like a kid even when you reach middle age.

It also gives you the opportunity to be a mediator, mentor, counselor and educator.

You don't get paid for such tasks. But you do get the opportunity to have a huge impact on at least a few members of the next generation. You can't do that in your 9-to-5 job.

Being a parent has other rewards, too.

One of the biggest is that you don't have to spend a lot of time trying to plan your weekends. Just staying in town has parents on the go.

At our home, our weekends generally revolve around our children's schedules.

The family taxi service is in full swing daily. The family taxi doesn't sit idle in the driveway on Saturday and Sunday. It's needed just as much, maybe more on weekends.

Our teenage daughter still isn't old enough to drive by herself. So even when she does get behind the wheel, either my wife, Joni, or I have to tag along.

Becca spends a lot of time commuting to friends' homes and back again during the summer.

Then there are high school cheerleading practices and countless trips to an ice cream parlor.

Our younger daughter, 11-year-old Bailey, also has a busy schedule what with basketball tournaments, Girl Scout camps and visits to St. Louis to see her grandmother.

Joni's planner is crowded with activities, most of them involving the children. Throw in a dog, and we don't have time to worry about global warming.

Having children keeps you from sleeping away the day. With young children under roof, you have a built-in alarm clock.

Of course, our teenage daughter can easily sleep through Saturday morning. But our soon-to-be sixth grader is up and about on Saturday morning or, for that matter, any nonschool day.

And without children, most couples would never experience the joy of competing for the opportunity to watch their favorite television show in the living room.

Childless couples don't watch all those school-kid sitcoms. They don't know about "Hannah Montana" and other shows. Sadly, they don't realize there's more to television than HBO.

Having children gives you a chance to open your own bed-and-breakfast without it ever being a business. Your children invite friends over to spend the night. The job of the parents is to make sure that your child's friends get fed, receive a good night's sleep and don't suffer any major injuries while in your care.

Of course, sleep is sometimes in short supply at such events. But as parents, you do your best to police the situation.

On the rare occasion when our children are both away at camp or with friends on a weekend, the house seems too quiet.

Life's just a little fuller with children around, and a whole lot noisier.

It's more hectic too. But at least you don't have to worry about getting bored. Parents don't have time for that.

Most of us don't have time to answer surveys either. If we did, maybe the national results would have been different.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.