The biggest positive for me is that DH and I have created together four unique people with their own individuality - it's still pretty amazing to me that we actually have children (the whole 'created life' thing). And hopefully we are doing a good enough job with them that they in turn will make their own valid contributions as adults. Plus there is the unconditional love between a parent and their child.

There are also the small things that I didn't have the time to appreciate before I had children too - like others have said, flustered parents with upset children etc. Being a SAHM and being part of the kids pre school and school communities.

The only negative is sometimes I feel like I have lost "me" - the old me who used to just go out and do whatever, whenever and spend her money how she wanted. but thats a rather small part of who I was before anyway, it's more that now I have 5 other people dependent on me to be there for them I feel the loss of that more accutely kwim?

One other thing is having gone from someone's child to someone's parent, I truly understand what it was like for my parents and the 'grind' of being an adult - paying bills, making sure there food on the table and clothes on your back sort of thing.