Interesting new NPR series

Okay, so the series hasn't officially started, but NPR has started requesting submissions. NPR would like listeners to contribute to a series its calling Your Brain on Kids. Perhaps this is a sign of the fundamental shift that has occurred in my brain since becoming a mom. Additionally, I've been struggling for writing ideas and would love to have something published somewhere. I thought if a topic cropped up that fit my life, I would, of course, try to contribute my voice.

Sadly, the first request for submissions goes out to parents of 1-4 year-olds. I, do however, like the question: Has parenthood changed you? Was there a moment or incident that sparked the realization?

First of all, I don't think anyone can become a parent without undergoing some significant changes. I know that I am more patient and understanding. I am more empathetic and I now know more about rocks than I had ever imagined. I now swear a lot less and I have fully purged television from my life. I've fully come to the realization that a parent's life must have variety and I will soon leave the shell of a marriage that solely revolved around my son.

The second part of the question made me chuckle, because I can clearly remember the very moment I noticed that I had started to see the world through a parent's eyes. I was in the car and the John Mayer song, "No Such Thing" came on. I don't terribly object to the song, so I didn't change the radio. But the line "They love to tell you to stay inside the lines, but somethings are better on the other side." This signals my parental metamorphisis. Andrew has always struggled with his fine-motor skills. Occupational therapists would visit the house and offer advice, especially about how to help Andrew with handling a pencil, crayon, etc. In my world, the ability to color inside the lines represented a growing mastery of particular fine-motor skills. I found myself, in the car alone, tersely offering commentary to the song. I'm sure I said something along the lines, "You know...not everything is about suppressing the spirit and conforming to stifling societal norms. Sometimes, I just need to know that my kid is capable of a complex task."

It was at that moment that I knew I was a mom.