_{Here we are as a family}

The Joy Of Parenthood

Introduction

A parent is a person who is shouldering the responsibility as a caregiver and fully responsible for the upbringing of a child and is the same for both a biological or adopted child.
While parenting is the processes involved in caring, supporting, training, educating a child with the aim of making them into productive adult that are useful to themselves and the community.
In today's modern society, a child may have birth parents, foster parents or single parent
In it's traditional form, parenting was that partnership between a man and a woman where they both compliment each other's efforts for the upbringing of a child or children.

The joys we experienced when we becoming parents.

Becoming a parent has special significance in the African cultural setting, it means great relief as a marriage without a child or children is viewed as unproductive and lacking the needed blessing.
Becoming a parent means gaining right of passage into becoming a man or woman and gaining status in the community.
The joy of parenthood is also a matter of satisfaction that comes from personal achievement, because the African cultural makes having children the goal of every marriage.
Once a child is born, relatives troop in to welcome the baby, your parents are happy that you have crown then as grandparents, there is rejoicing that the pregnancy and delivery was successful and everyone admiring the cute and gorgeous baby think the baby looks like them.
More experienced relatives will offer advice and assistance.

How this joy prompt parents to sacrifices for their kids.

Instinctively, the parents get into protective mode. They want to keep the joy radiating and the more they fulfill their role as providers and protectors, the more joy is felt. The harder a sacrifice, the more joy it produces.
It starts with some sleepless nights when the baby is adjusting to day and night, a time when the newborn sleeps during the day and is awake all through the night.
Mothers are ready to give up their beautiful looks and fathers will have to work harder to feed additional mouths even when his wife's attention is diverted away from him to the child. The child's feeding and care become priority and in poor homes, parents would have to forgo their meals as lang as the child is feed and their medical needs taken care of.

Babysitting	Are you sleeping?

How this joy changes with the passing of time.

This joy grows as the child grows, as you observe the child learning how to crawl, walk or talk. Your success is measured by this milestones and it makes the parents happier.
When they respond positively to discipline and correction it makes it even more joyous while failure to follow instructions only makes it painful
Having a measure of good health and vitality make the parent happy. Poor health and suffering takes away the joy. The child's intellectual development and social skills also has similar effects.
A child's readiness to respond to advice and keep good company makes the parent happy.
_{Taking care of health}

The joy I experience as a parent.

My kids are still young while the oldest is 3 years old, the youngest is a year and six months and I am happy and thankful that the are in good health. The are equally doing well intellectually and are developing good social skills for their age.
It makes me feel happy when in their own way return the love we show them.

What I wish for my kids.

I wish may girls should grow up to love the values and way of life we as parents are proposing for them as it provides rich and satisfying meaning to life, minimizing regret and vain strive while maximizing the potential of a comparatively happy life now and hope for a real life in perfect conditions.
_{Walking into the future together}

Conclusion.

Being a parent is one thing that still brings out the true humanity in us as it makes us selfless in putting the needs of our kids ahead of ours. Though it is not a light task to shoulder, it is one that gives unparalleled joy.

I will love the following Steemians to participate in this contest
@oasiskp @bela90 @kesybliss

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