BECOMING A PARENT

Very little in our lives prepares us for **parenthood** (1. parent). Suddenly, your life is turned upside down and all sorts of **familiar** (2. familiar) demands are replaced on you. How we ourselves were treated by our parents in our **youth** (3. young) can have an **appreciable** (4. appreciate) effect on who we become as parents. Our own **observations** (5. observe) of how our parents responded to us creates a model of parenting that is **intimately** (6. intimate) connected to the kind of parents we become. It’s not uncommon for people to show the same child-rearing **characteristics** (7. character) as their own parents. If your father was an unsympathetic **sympathetic** (8. sympathy) figure who always seemed too busy to care about how you felt, then there’s a chance you will repeat the same behavior. If your mother was utterly **selfless** (9. self) in her devotion to her children, there’s a chance that you too will be equally giving and do all that is humanly **possible** (10. human) possible for your offspring.