"Kids will change your life forever"

I suppose this is true. Certainly everyone around me who has kids enjoyed pointing that out to me over and over again (for my own good I'm sure).  I have a feeling that the more emphatically that advice is given, the more the giver regrets what they lost when they had kids. But for a second, look at the OTHER things in your life that change you and your outlook on the world around you. I haven't been the same since the Oilers traded Gretzky, or since I saw The Shining, or since Gary Cherone joined Van Halen.

Every significant moment or experience in your life changes you permanently, so it's no surprise that having a kid does as well. The thing is, I simply don't care. For example: I used to get up at 6:30, have a coffee and breakfast and watch Sportscentre for a half hour before I went to work. I haven't done this since Nik was born, and I don't miss it. I used to play guitar for 4 or 5 hours at a time, and I don't do this anymore either, but it's my own fault. The less TV I watch at night the more time I would have for music, so it's not my kid but rather my own lack of discipline that steals my time away.

But I do have one piece of advice on this point. Don't have kids until going out at night (every week) gets kind of boring. There will be a day when you walk into your favorite Friday night hangout (mine was The Brunswick House in Toronto) and you'll look around and say to yourself, "Meh, this isn't really for me anymore" (this happened to me when I was 25 and going out to bars just never had the same allure after the Brunny lost it's warm glowing warming glow). Be honest with yourself when this happens. Don't repress the forces of change. You'll be much happier for it.

If you have kids AFTER this point in your life, you can let your mind rest easy knowing you've missed nothing of your youth. If you have kids BEFORE this point, then yeah, you're gonna have to assume you missed some stuff you would have otherwise liked to do. So if you're 18 and still partying like a mad man/woman, wrap up the monkey. Simple as that.

Now also keep in mind that I have an excellent wife, a fairly decent job, lots of generous family and friends, and I live in a city that's clean, safe, and cheap. Having a kid under these circumstances should not be that hard, and it' isn't.

And yes, I AM different, and it HAS affected my life and it HAS thrown off my sleep and my schedule. But I don't care. Even in the 3 weeks I've been a dad, the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices.