I really don't think this particular blog post has anything at all to do with being a parent. That said, being a parent forces you to grow up - but not in the

I really don't think this particular blog post has anything at all to do with being a parent. That said, being a parent forces you to grow up - but not in the ways you may expect. You can still have fun, be playful, pull pranks, etc. That stuff doesn't have to change if that's who you are. The biggest change, I think, is learning to handle unpleasant events that you cannot control and do not have a choice to ignore. When the baby fills his diaper, you have to change it even if it smells especially bad. When he throws a tantrum, you have to deal with it. When he hurts himself, you have to help him. When he makes mistakes, you have to teach him. The list goes on and on. Many of those things are hard in some way (often due to timing, the interruption, the stress of no sleep, etc) - BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. Prior to having a child, most people simply avoid or find ways to reduce their involvement in things that might be unpleasant, difficult, undesirable, disruptive, etc. You have no choice when you become a parent but to deal with those situations and you will become better for it.