faded love
by rantywoman
On a podcast I once heard a man mention the excitement of becoming a father, and the other comic, a successful man with a seemingly good marriage and happy family, said, “Yeah but it fades.” It was a tossaway comment made without further elaboration, but I honed in on it immediately.
Does the excitement of parenthood fade? We hear a lot about “empty nest syndrome,” so maybe for some people it doesn’t, or it does but the parents still don’t know what to do with themselves once the kids are gone.
I would assume that due to familiarity alone, over the years children could lose their sheen. We’ve certainly seen pets become neglected once a baby arrives, and we hear over and over again that marriage easily becomes stale. I’m sure it’s taboo, though, to say that parenting itself could become stale.
Also, ideally, people have children when they are in a solid partnership and in good financial straits, or at the very least, interested in experiencing parenthood. If those circumstances change due to divorce, financial hardship, or new interests, do parents get tired of parenting? I fear that could be the case, and that fear was another thing that made me cautious about becoming a mother.
thebitterbabe 
Yes, these topics are taboo. I know for sure, my mother did not like parenting very much at all….but she did enjoy having older children and the holidays. I also heard some stories from a local hairstylist…who hears about all the wealthy married women coming into her shop. She says many of them are getting divorced just “because” they want something new…they are tiring of their mates. She is shocked and annoyed because she just wants one for herself!
So yes, it happens and it is taboo.
My friend did the same in terms of tiring of her husband and thus getting divorced. The papers haven’t even gone through, she has two young kids, and she is already in the “most passionate and intense” relationship of her life (third man she’s dated in the past year). Hard to believe, honestly.
It always amazes me how some women can find a husband and when they tire of him also a string of other men to choose from. I am more like Yoga Gurl’s stylist, still looking for just one. “Passionate and intense” relationship… ha!… only in my dreams.
I have a question. Did your friend agonize over the decision to leave her husband or did she just confidently go for it? It’s always a risk…how did she feel about that?
She confidently went for it, but it’s a long story, since she basically won the lottery. I mean, literally– she won the lottery. So the financial pressures were off. I certainly didn’t think she would find someone so soon, but life is funny…