For those who love kids, parenting can be the most rewarding path in life. Parenting is a combination of caring, mentoring and teaching. It means showing kids the world and how to finally strike out on their own. The good news is that you don’t have to give birth to be a parent. There are so many kids out there in need that helping them find their way is an option for everyone, even those that cannot give birth on their own or at all.
Fostering is a great choice if you aren’t ready to be a full-time parent, if you cannot be a biological parent on your own, or if you want to do more with your time for the children in your area. Parents with their own kids become foster parents, too.
In short, if you love children and want to be a parent in one form or another, there are options out there. There are short-term options and permanent options. While parenting isn’t for everyone – and that’s okay – for those who want to be parents taking on children can enrich your life in the following ways:
See the World Through Their Eyes
Giving children the best start at life means teaching them, showing them the world, and guiding them to become their own person. Becoming a foster parent can be a rewarding, enriching experience for many – as they discover things, you’ll discover things. Their joy is infectious, their responses are addictive. People commonly go out of their way to make their loved ones smile, but when you do it with children you aren’t just making them happy, you’re opening up their world. Their delight, their joy, their curiosity – all of that you can experience second-hand through their eyes.
You Make a Difference in the World
One of the oldest reasons why people have children is for the legacy. There is a piece of you, either biologically or at the very least your parenting, that will carry on when you pass on. Never underestimate how important the little ripples are throughout life. When you raise a child, particularly when you love them and want to do your utmost to be the best parent you can be, you are making a positive impact in their lives, and all the lives that your child or foster child interacts with from there.
Parenting is Inherently Rewarding
Just as teaching is rewarding, so too is parenting. When you enjoy parenting there is nothing quite like guiding and caring for children. It is a huge responsibility, and when you are aware of that responsibility and know how to navigate through it is hard to find any career or vocation that will compare.
Just as gardeners feel fulfilled and enriched when they see their plants grow and thrive, parents feel the same when they see the children in their charge blossom into their truest selves. The journey is not easy and it will be full of ups and downs, but overall those who want to be parents will usually find it incredibly enriching, and rewarding.
