Three years ago my life was pretty normal, I had a house, a wife, a car and a decent job. Everything was nice and easy, very mundane. And then, my daughter was born.

Impact of kids

Every parent will tell you two things:

• After having kids your life as you knew it… gone
• But the life you have afterwards, is much more satisfying!

When I didn’t have kids and I heard people say this I thought they were just making it sound better than it was. But now I know, it is true.

The thing they never tell you is *WHY* their life is better now, and I think I have the answer.

Ups and downs

In life you need ups and downs. If you have a life where you have all the money in the world and no set backs… it can still be a boring non-satisfying life. Also, I’ve seen people losing their job and they still rate their life as pretty satisfying. It all depends on your frame of reference! If you only have ups, it is dull, you need those mood swings.

When I didn’t have kids, these things made me happy:

• Heard a good joke in the coffee corner
• Won a volleyball match

And the worst things that happened to me:

• Missing a train…
• Running out of coffee

That is pretty much it, again: very mundane and a bit dull.

Kids amplify your life

Once I’ve had kids, all the things above seem nuances. This is what my ups and downs now look like:

Downs

• Was an hour late at work because kid was screaming: “Today, no pants!”
• The daily *catch me* kick in the nuts
• Kid broke something valuable, again
• Constant fear of kids getting hurt, disappointed etc

And of course, the obvious *I have kids* ups!

• Kid walks/talks/does something for the first time
• Good night kisses
• “Daddy! I’ve missed you!” after being gone for an hour
• Many more moments…

Kids cause greater daily downs and thankfully also bigger up moments, they amplify your feelings and make you feel alive!