What Percentage Do You Enjoy Motherhood?

I guess I don't think of motherhood in terms of percentages. It has its ups and downs, just like everything.
Besides, how do you know what 50% feels like if you've never been 100%? It's kind of hard for me to wrap my head around this kind of thinking...

I don't think of motherhood this way. In fact, motherhood is the best thing that ever happened to me. (Well, meeting hubby is tied with it). I love the challenges, the tears, and the laughter. It represents all of life.

My ex used to try to make me quantify everything. I don't really get it. I can't quantify satisfaction because I don't know what 100% satisfied feels like without any doubt that things could be better. And I don't know what 0% feels like without a doubt that things could possibly get worse.

So your question is a non-sequitur.

Do you think that perhaps your process of quantification is causing you to not appreciate what you have?

My oldest is 25 and I can honestly say I have never asked, could I be happier.

It is possible I could have been happier but that happiness wasn't necessary so why worry about it?

I think what you're asking is how much do you "enjoy" your kids.

And I'll be honest...not much.

I don't do babies. My kids are 5 and 3, and I was miserable during their younger years, when you had to tote stuff and carry them everywhere. Again, I don't sugar coat and I'll be honest.

It's getting better now that they're more independent. But the amount of time that can I say I actually ENJOY being around my kids is pretty small.

Mine are a handful. Or maybe I'm bad mothering. I AM maternal, and I love them more than life itself. But I can honestly say I don't ENJOY being around them. Playing with them. etc... It's rare that I laugh and relax. Most of the time I'm trying to round them up, or get them to stop doing something, or tormenting each other.

That makes me really sad. And I wish it were different. But it is what it is.

considering i only get from 6pm-9pm with emmy school nights and thursday nights she's with her day from 7ish to bedtime i'd say i love most of the time i have. yes the rare mements when i want to shake some sense into her id give that a 50% but mostly i love being her mommy. i also only have 1 which i think makes a big diference and her dad gets her thursdays from 7pm to bedtime and sat 7pmto bedtime and sundays...i get bummed on sundays since i dont see her at all but it also gives M. time to miss her. i'd say if you're only feeling 50% you need a weekly break of some sort, even if its only going out for an hour or two without kids.

When you find that calculator, let me know!

I have moments when I absolutely, deeply enjoy my son and other moments? I would sell him to the circus for peanuts!

We all have our days. I think the hardest aspect of parenting is how it/our kids fit into all of the other demands. My load is lighter, I expect, than many mothers' loads. My husband and I just agreed on me being a SAHM for the next year or so (as far ahead as the crystal ball allows us, right?)-- that's a lot of pressure off of me. The less pressure, the higher the percentage points, I'm certain!

And I'm with Julie G--might sound antiquated and anti-feminist (which it's not meant to be-- I was fiercely independent and self-supporting until Kiddo), but my husband and Kiddo are truly the best things that could have happened to me.

My children are 2, 7 1/2, and 10 1/2.
I enjoy motherhood 100% of the time.
I am not all that excited about being a SAHM sometimes, but I don't equate that to being a mom. Laundry, dishes, cleaning.....that has nothing to do with being a mom. That's keeping the house, totally different in my opinion. (for the record, I HATE all of that stuff!)
While motherhood can certainly be stressful, I still am overjoyed and totally in love with my kids.
L.

Totally in love with Christy's answer.

On an average day? I'd say about 90%. I really enjoy DD most of the time. She does things that drive me crazy, but it's not the majority of our time. She's a pretty good kid.

Now, stepmotherhood...that's a different thing. That I'd say is around 50% and some days far less. It's gotten better in many ways, but it's hard to be on a different page than another household and even now I sometimes feel meh about a behavior or event. Maybe that's why my enjoyment of DD is so high. I know what it's like to see the train and have nobody care.

Now, not all days of parenting are going to be bowls of cherries. But if you consistently find that you are down, take stock. Look at things that you could change - for yourself, for them, for your household. What makes you feel less than stellar about it? What can you do to change it? In reading some of your past questions, you have some challenging and active small children. So your unenjoyment of things like being called to the school is understandable. What are the biggest things affecting your household? Is there one thing that bugs you the most? I'd focus on that thing. Then the next big thing. And so on, til you aren't putting out so many fires and can sit back with the kids and just eat s'mores.

I would love to be at 80% all the time but there are times I seriously feel like it is more like 10%. I think it all depends on our own expectations and what we perceive as failures when they really aren;t. Oh, and stress. I wil say that when I feel really disorganized or overwhelmed, the number goes down.

It's unquantifiable. Changes every second!!

I enjoy every minute of my daughter. Had a family member desire us to adopt her baby. She took the baby back twice. It was heart breaking, Finally, after 6 years of trying to get pregnant, I finally conceived after 1 fertility treatment. After many tears of loosing an adopted baby and also trying to conceive for so long. I love being a mom. I appreciate what I have. I wish I had more time with her. My daughter hasn't been perfect by any means. But, I find great joy in spending time with her.

You have to focus on the positive...you can't think this way or it'll get you down. Think that the times you enjoy are worth so much more than the hard times so they don't carry equal weight. Parenting is tough but also so rewarding....so let's focus on the rewarding!

I don't know about percentages, but I know it's constantly up and down. Up more when the kids are happy and easy going and down more when I'm not getting enough sleep or dealing with the stresses of three teenagers in the house, two of whom are girls.
Being happy half the time is better than not being happy at all, right?
The glass is half full, so why be sad?

Im with Christy as well. I don't know what 100% or 0% feel like, so how can I pick a number between them?
There were some stages and some aspects of motherhood that I enjoyed more than others.
Now that my daughter is grown and I can relate to her as her own person instead of as someone that I'm responsible for training to live in the real worls, I enjoy it a lot more than when I was having to raise her.

I don't really get how you quantify this. Out of a 24 hour day... I only "parent" them for 5-6 hours per day during the week, so if you're asking "how much" of that time is "fun"... well, factor out the time spent cooking dinner and cleaning up after them and we're down to about 3 hours of "time together" on a weekday. If that's the number we are using, 100%. I love our evenings together and we try to do something as a family each night, even if it's just weeding together or playing on the swing set after dinner.

Weekends are busy, but I really like being with my children.

I love everything except cooking and cleaning. :)

I love being a mom because I love my kiddo more than anything in this
world.
Is it ever challenging? Yes.
Am I beyond lucky to have a kid? Yes.
Does it have it's stressful moments? Yes.
Have I ever had a rough job or a tough boss? Yes.
Don't put a percentage on it.
Just enjoy each day.
I take the challenges with the sweet rewards.
I remind myself DAILY how lucky I was to even conceive. I went to
fertility doctors & they told me I didn't have a chance.

What do I do when times are stressful being a mom or when I do not get
any help?
I remind myself right on the spot how grateful I am for my life.
I list 5 things in my head immediately.
Or my child will do something sweet & amazing! I smile to myself.
I let myself enjoy the moment. I just slow down.
I do things daily to make me enjoy my days:
-talk to a friend on the phone for 10 mins for a laugh or pick me up
-go for a walk w/little one in the stroller or alone when hubby get home
-I do things w/my little one that are fun for both of us. Enriching for him &
entertaining for me (library reading time, play dates, park for him to play
on the structure & meet other kids while I get to relax & enjoy the outdoors peacefully, go to the mall in inclement weather for him to get out
some of his energy on the indoor structures while it rains and for me to
just GET OUT of the house, I blog, watch a favorite show at night while
I try to relax from the hard day, read, try new hobbies I can do from home, go on day trips w/my kids.
-take each day & look for the good. Be thankful in the moment.
-find ways to make your life easier

I love every minute with my kiddo, even when I'm frustrated or he's grumpy or whatever.

I suffered through 5 years of infertility; my doctors weren't sure if even IVF would help us. Then out of no where, I got pregnant. When I say the positive test, I promised myself that I would completely and totally dedicate myself to my kiddo and live up every moment with him.

And I have - and it's been fabulous. I'm at 100%.

I love being a mom! What job ever gives you those hugs, smiles and giggles? What job allows you to have the flexibility to handle things the way you want to? Whenever there was something frustrating or negative, I would always look for the positive. Now that my kids are grown there are still negative things, like them not wanting to spend every waking minute talking to their mom ... ha ha. I just look at how happy they are and how grateful I am when they do call.

You have to look at what is so difficult about being a mom and find out why it is bothering you. Start making a list of what you do like about being a mom. What was it like when you saw them take their first steps? Write down some of their cute phrases in a journal. What makes them giggle? What do you enjoy seeing them do? What are you able to do that other people are not able?

Do you surprise your kids with fun things to do every once in a while? If you are not creative (I am not), go online and Google "fun things to do with kids at home" or "fun surprises for kids." Surprise them with a fun dinner. It just sounds like you are not adding fun to your day.

Do you hug your kids a lot - just for the fun of it? Do you "steal" kisses? Bring more of the touching, emotional stuff into your life.

It's just like when our marriages get a little stale. You just have to plan some fun again and more touching.

And whatever you do, do not put a percentage on how much you enjoy being a mom. Just keep focusing on the things you like instead of the things you don't. It's hard to think of two things at once, so keep replacing the negative things with positive things. Go to your list of positive things often in case your brain is so full of negative things right now. Keep lists everywhere you go. Post pictures of your smiling kids everywhere in the house.

Enjoy these years. You can't get them back.

Hmmmmm.....well, I would say, percentage wise I rock solid 90% :). The 10% I don't like is all the fighting my kids do with each other!!!! Ugh! That is like the worst, I never knew how much that would work my nerves!! I feel like a referee on many days, but most of the time they adore each other, and then I forget how nuts their fights make me! There is this scripture that says 'His (God's) anger last a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime'. That is how I feel as a mom, I can be at my wits end and then one sugary smile followed by a heartfelt 'I love you mommy' and I forget all about it :)

120%.. It 's been flying by so quickly that I remind myself to cherish every moment of it.. Since having my son, my life has been so much happier, loving and just downright great, it's hard to have ever imagined not having my son..

Motherhood is one thing... and loving your kids is another. I am sure you probably love your kids 100%... it's the job of mothering that can sometimes be tough and it is.. try not to feel sad in that you do love your kids... every job, including being mom has its up s and downs..