Raising 4 kids is wearing me down. I'm looking forward to connecting with them as adults.
A mother of four reflects on the challenges of raising children in quick succession and the toll it took on her mental well-being. She shares her shift in perspective toward focusing on her children's future as adults rather than the daily struggles of parenting.
Why it matters
The essay highlights the often-unspoken emotional and physical exhaustion associated with intensive parenting.
The author (not pictured) said that having four kids within five years took a toll on her. Now she's focusing on the future and raising her kids to be people she would want to be friends with. NataliaDeriabina/Getty Images I had four kids in under five years, and that took a toll on me. If I'm being honest, I've realized that loving your kids doesn't necessarily mean loving parenthood. Instead, I've found peace by focusing on the future and who my kids will become. I had four kids before I realized parenting wasn't for me . I'm kidding, of course, but there is some truth to that sentiment, too. During my teens, I was the go-to babysitter for my tight-knit Midwestern neighborhood, and I loved every minute of it. But no matter how much you love kids, even your own, nothing can prepare you for full-time parenthood .
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