Pros & Cons of Your Kids Growing Up

Last week, we hit another milestone in the Golden household when my daughter learned the truth about Santa Claus.  This will be the first time since 2003 that "Santa" will not come visit us.  This milestone got me thinking about the pros and cons of your kids growing up.

Pro: With the Santa myth behind us, we no longer have to stay up until the early hours of Christmas morning wrapping the gifts from "Santa."
Con: With Santa out of the picture, a little bit of the magic of Christmas is gone, the wonder of whether or not Santa is going to come this year.

Pro: No longer having to move that stupid elf every day and being mortified if you forget to do so as the kids pepper you with questions wondering why the elf didn't move.
Con: Instead of waking up excited to find the elf and see what mischief he has gotten himself into, you have to drag the kids out of bed like you do the rest of the year.

Pro: We no longer have to pack half the house (diaper bags, toys, stroller, snacks, etc.) just to take the kids to the store or to grandma's house.
Con: Strangers no longer fawn over your cute little ones. (Wait....maybe that's another pro.)

Pro: You can take the kids out to dinner without it being a major production that will likely result in bribery, tears and a temper tantrum at some point.
Con: The kids no longer eat off the kids' menu, so dinner is a lot more expensive.

Pro: You no longer have to spend a minor fortune on diapers and formula.
Con: You now have to spend a minor fortune on orthodontia and acne medication.

Pro: Your kids no longer have a Christmas list that is as long as "War and Peace"
Con: The things that ARE on their list are generally a lot more expensive (think gaming systems, video games, smart phones, etc.)

Pro: The sports games your kids play actually count.  They keep score, keep track of outs, etc.  Not everyone bats every inning and not everyone gets a trophy just for showing up.
Con: There are a LOT more of the games and if your kid doesn't play well, they may wind up benched or batting at the bottom of the order.

Pro: No more Tooth Fairy, so no more sneaking into your kid's room in the dark, trying to replace the tooth with money without waking the kid up.  Also, no more digging through your wallet and couch cushions to come up with the money from the "Tooth Fairy."
Con: Instead of giving your kid $5 for losing a tooth, you give them $10 to go get lunch with their friends.  It's more expensive and decidedly less magical.

Pro: Bed time is no longer a 30 minute production marked by stall tactics, tears and story time.
Con: The kids now stay up later, which makes it more difficult to watch my TV programs before I start to nod off on the couch.

Pro: You no longer have to worry about your kid's friends and classmates biting them.
Con: You now have to worry about your kid's friends and classmates introducing them to drugs or sex or other bad things.

Pro: No longer having to pay thousands of dollars a year for daycare/preschool.
Con: Saving up to pay thousands of dollars a year for college.

Pro: No more banal, repetitive children's songs played over and over again.
Con: Instead, you get banal, repetitive pop songs played over and over again.

The list could go on and on, but I think you get the point.  There are pros and cons to all stages of life and that holds true with having kids as well.  I'd love to hear some of your pros and cons of your kids growing up.

Thanks for reading!