Where did the word 'parent' come from?

Have you ever wondered why we who bear/adopt children are called 'parents' and not something else like a ‘punch-bag’ or a ‘door-mat’ for example?? Where did the word ‘parent’ come from?

‘Parents’ and ‘parenting’ has been around since the human race began and will continue to be there into the eternity. It has intrigued many a souls from painters, sculptors, poets, writers, actors and playwrights to scientists, politicians and philosophers alike.

Grammatically speaking, ‘parent’ is a noun but believe me, figuratively speaking it is also a verb and an adjective at the same time!! Go figure!!

If you ask an American young adult of the current ‘boomerang generation’ who is holding their parents’ basement couch to the floor, they will say ‘parent’ comes from ‘pay-rent’!!

Jokes apart, its origin can be found in the Latin word, ‘parere’ meaning “to bring forth, or give birth”. Its present participle was used to form a noun, /parens/, which denoted literally "one who gives life to another." The Oxford English dictionary defines it as a "mother" or a "father” and also as “a source or origin of a smaller or less important part”.

Now here is this last piece of the definition that really interests me and something that I would definitely emphasize on, especially since the day I became a ‘parent’!!! I am sure that the following thought must have passed through each and every parent’s mind at least once on becoming a parent!

‘This small insignificant little creature that is totally dependent on me for its existence has transformed my life the second it was born. No... Wait, in fact the second it was conceived!!’ Have you ever wondered, ‘when does parenting actually start?’ I would say in today’s world of pre-planned pregnancies it starts the moment you start ‘planning’ to have a baby! If it is a non-planned, natural or ‘accidental ‘conception it might start the moment you realize you are pregnant!! That’s when this ‘smaller or less important part’ of you starts taking shape, first in your head (imagination) and as days go by, physically in your uterus!

I remember once my mom saw me consciously planning my day (and my life to some extent) around my kids soccer practices and music lessons, culture class and birthday parties, and exclaimed, "We never consciously thought what we were doing, our kids just grew up because that's what they do..we didn't think we had to take any special efforts!" I thought, I grew up to be pretty good, inspite of that (or maybe because of that!) Hmm..something to think about...do we give too much importance to 'parenting'? Afterall haven't kids grown up on their own for millenials?! The world turned out to be ok. What is it we as parents trying to do when we say we 'parent'? Any thoughts?

#parent