Parenting is hard

I'm gonna tell you guys a big secret: Parenting is hard.
It's hard dealing with a kid who won't listen when you tell him to do something.
It's hard knowing how to discipline and punish, especially as the child grows and the rules need to be updated.
It's hard trying to divide your time between work, school, free time and kid time.
It's hard integrating education in play.
It's hard developing a rewards system that works.
But most of all it's hard switching from one to the next, as some conglomeration of difficulty which increases daily as the rest of the world vies for attention.

William is an amazing kid. One day he'll be as sweet as can be. He'll read stories, he'll say please and thank you, and he'll sit still long enough to learn some letters. Other days he'll be the terror of the house, running, screaming "No!", and generally being a mess. I realize that in many ways this sounds like every other kid, but William will always be unique, special to me because he's the kid I care about all of these things. I care about why he is doing what he is, why he is acting the way he is. The way I deal with him will influence what he grows up into. He could grow up into a scientist, a teacher, a soldier, anything depending on what I play with him, how I discipline him, and how I teach him.

But most of all, I want him to grow up to be a guy I would want to hang out with. A guy I would call a good guy. For the time being I have to be a parent, not a friend, so that he can grow up into a guy I can call a good son, and a friend.