Yes, I’m about to do it. Write another blog post about parenthood. Not that I’ve done it before, but its just over-done in the world. But allow me my perspective.
There’s a reason that a spoof story time book titled “Go the Fuck To Sleep” became a viral bestseller. Parents respond to the truth that children can be such a colossal and frustrating annoyance that in any other situation a normal human would resort to cursing, spitting, and dressing-down. And its not just bed-time that is frustrating – its the obnoxious behavior of kids sometimes – both on-purpose and incidental – that can make us want to wring their little necks.
Comedians have made hay over the parenthood and family problems forever. Louis CK made most of his money cursing parenthood and stating politically incorrect truth about its frustrations:
Even Bill Cosby, the cleanest comic ever, admitted to wanting to swear and cuss his kids out:
I think it must be a phenomenon of our times that produces such frustrated parents who also feel unable to admit their darker feelings toward their kids. I’m sure parents have felt this frustration for ever, wherever. But the methods of dealing with it, and family structures themselves have changed so that the neurosis has spread to father, mother – everyone. 100 years ago corporal punishment and strict family rule was more the norm – thus unruly or simply un-quiet children were controlled through small-time violence. And mothers bore 90% of the headaches and frustrations raising children, so fathers didn’t feel the need to become comedians and vent on stage like they do now.
Now that every father is expected to be 50% (or greater) contributor to raising their kids, its not even a shocker to hear new parents half-jokingly say “I actually understand how shaken baby syndrome can happen”. Its a tough job whose rewards can sometimes seem to not offset its disadvantages.