Parenting Is A Lot Like Weeding Dandelions

This photo literally gives my dad the cold sweats. 

Ah dandelions, those little yellow bastards that ruin everyone’s lawn this time of year. If you are like me, you are currently having that annual debate whether it is worth taking on the challenge of digging them up and returning your lawn to that pure green colour it should be.

I have the easy-dig stick thing that is supposed to make dandelion plucking fun. I have the interest to de-weed my lawn. I even have the patience to stand outside and do it for an hour or two. So what is the problem?

The problem is, no matter how much work I put into it, I know those little guys that my son calls flowers are just going to grow back and continue to taunt me. I mean, there are about 700 of them in my neighbour’s yard just waiting to come on over.

Yesterday as I was outside trying my best to get every last dandelion patch, it got me thinking. Pulling dandelions is a lot like parenting.

Try as you might to clear the deck of chores, problems, lists and events, there will always be more ready to pop up. Now, don’t get me wrong, these are not all negative things. But dandelion pulling remind me of and old adage that my dad would always use.

“_______ is a lot like painting a bridge. Once you are done, you have to start all over again.”

Again, that sounds like parenting to me.

Every day is a new start to a game. A game of picking up toys, doing laundry, picking up food at the store and wrestling with a baby who won’t sleep.

But, it is also a game that involves hearing your kid say something funny, seeing them ride a bike for the first time and enjoying the minute-by-minute growth of your kids.

There is a lot of good to counteract all that annoying, tiring and sometimes never-ending aspects of parenting.

Parenting is a lot like weeding dandelions. Hard work pays off. Whether it is a great looking yard that you and your kids can play in all summer long or knowing that you are doing your best to raise your kids and provide for them every day of your life.

Okay, so I guess I think too much while out in the yard eh? Who knew something so simple as yanking weeds out of the ground, would get me thinking of the bigger picture when it comes to parenting.

Not sure what I would have come up with if my yard was just a giant sheet of cement. Let’s not even go there.

Back to yard work I go.