oh.its not easy..infact,its the hardest job in the world..heart,mind and soul challenging..the day they are born,the love takes over,the sleepless nights moreso! you constantly have a barrage of " i done it this way..it worked for me..i would smack him if he was mine" etc etc!...i look at my son now..after 18yrs..and think.." yep, i ve done a great job"..hes happy,polite,funny and slightly mad!..where does he get that from?!..when ou bring up kids,you learn with them,re-live your childhood,protect them from harm,bandage that knee when it only needs a plaster,shout,scream,cry yourself to sleep,as you just dont know if he will hate you for telling him off.. tears of joy,of being so very proud of that xmas play,the exam results,his prom..the fact that he helped me through my cancer...the child will eventually,like mine,be your soulmate. and when people say.."its all because of you..you return with.."no,hes done it himself"..and the late nights,tears ,tantrums and worries...just fade away...theres no book in the world,that can tell you,what childhod would be like...............ever.