Theory of Relativity

It's always easy to feel that we "have it tough" trying to raise a toddler. Compared to DINKs (dual-income, no-kids), our lives are definitely tougher. Just getting the lawn mowed on a weekly basis or making dinner is nearly impossible with a toddler who wants constant attention. In fact, on days when Scarlett goes to daycare (typically Mondays to Wednesdays), I usually make dinner before I go and pick her up. Any parent with young children knows what it's like to make dinner when the child insists on being held (not any other time during the day, but just when you want to cook) and if not, the meltdowns/ballistic-crying/screaming that ensues. On days when Scarlett isn't in daycare, I resort to leftovers and quick-boil frozen raviolis. Even that is difficult to do sometimes. No, I haven't resorted to parking her in front of the TV yet (but I'm sure I'll break down one of these days and do that).
But occasionally, I'm forced to snap out of my own "woe is me" perspective when I talk to other parents. Just a few weekends ago, at our annual neighborhood picnic, I was talking to my neighbor about how difficult it is to make dinner these days, and I like to cook! My neighbor's response was "... just wait until you have two." So there you have it - it's all relative. I still remember when "Jon and Kate Plus 8" first came out. I thought, wow!, if they can raise 6 babies at once, what's a few sleepless nights with one baby? Now, I have my mommy friends to compare to. One has twin babies, plus a 2-year old. Another one just had a baby, and has a 2-year-old who rarely naps and goes to sleep at 10pm. So I guess we do have it easy, until we have another one.