Many households are now 2-income households. And that can make parenting a slog.

You go to work for 8-10 hours, you may or may not need to provide transportation for children to/from school, and child-care can eat a substantial portion of income. If the children are small, then the parents clean the floors, the dishes, and the clothes. Not to mention any home improvements or repairs. And food! Do you want to eat a home-cooked meal as a family? If both parents work typical hours, then prepare to eat no earlier than 6 PM, and maybe as late as 7:30.

Hey but there’s the weekend, right? NOPE! Someone has to do that big weekly shopping trip. How long is that going to take? The whole ordeal is enough to make someone think twice before having that 2^nd kid. After all, if one kid getting sick throws a wrench in even a single day’s routine, then the whole week can be affected. How many sick kids before things stop getting done? Having a grandparent around to help would be a huge privilege and blessing.

At this point, I think that I can begin to call myself an experienced parent. I’ve got 4 kids who are ages 6 and younger. Plenty of modern conveniences make life easier. Many groceries can be purchased ahead of time for ‘order pick-up’ or online for delivery. Nice. Books are super cheap, and so are bubbles and drawing supplies. If I have to get some work/chores done while the kids are awake, then I can buy myself some time. But, like it or not, when the kids are asleep in the evening is when most chores will get done.

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