As a parent of two kids, aged 7 and 9, I have been through the ups and downs, almost tearing my hair out raising these two angels/monsters depending on what they did in the last 10 minutes.

Parenting is not easy either. Especially when they are tiny babies. For a first time mom, even bathing the fragile newborn infant can be a terrifying experience.

You start with sleepless nights. Father and mother taking turns soothing the crying baby. Especially when baby falls sick.

If you are breastfeeding, you'd probably wake up in the middle of the night to feed your baby. If you work, you would have to express the milk using breast pumps store it well and transport it back for your baby's feeds the next day. Then there is the perpetual changing of diapers and cleaning up after baby. Coaxing the baby to eat and cleaning up the mess after that. 

There are the fears when the little child comes down with a fever, having to care for the baby into the wee hours of morning and having to report to work early the next morning in spite of the lack of sleep.

Then there is the joy watching the baby's first steps, the baby's first words. Seeing the baby smile and babble at you. Watching the baby stack bricks, or play with toys.

As the child grows older, there are the tantrums to deal with.  There are the hugs you receive. The concern about the child's education. Worries about finances. Defiance by the child, making up for it later that. The times the kid makes you scream. The times the kids make your day.

Little things like kids trying to make a drink for you and make a mess in the kitchen for you to clean up after that. Surprising you with cards they make for you and even stringing paper clips and pieces of paper together into pretty necklaces (in their opinion) and insisting you wear that when you go out.

Parenting is quite an experience. The laughter, the tears. I wouldn't trade that in for anything else.