Here are the numbers of parenthood. Some of these numbers are personal to my experience of having four children and two miscarriages. Most others are data I either computed or found from reputable sources.

• Time spent pregnant: About 3.5 years

• Time spent breastfeeding: 5.75 years

• Time I will spend raising my children until they have all reached adulthood: 27 years

• Number of diapers an average child will use before being potty-trained: about 7000

• Number of times a parent will find himself with a child’s poop somewhere on himself: too many times.

• Age at which a child is approximately half his adult height: 2 years old (mayoclinic.org)

• Number of words an average child can say by his birthday: 100

• Number of words in the vocabulary of a typical four-year-old: more than 1000 (National Institute of Health)

• Age at which children ask more questions than they do at any other age: 4 years old (nih.gov)

• Number of years when a child unquestionably accepts what a parent tells them: only the first 6 (askdrsears.com)

• Age at which a sense of right and wrong begin to develop: about 2 years old (though this number is constantly debated)

• Age at which a child has developed a strong personal sense of right and wrong: 7-10 years (this appears to be universally accepted)

• Average amount of time fathers spend caring for their children per week: 7.3 hours (Pew Research)

• Average amount of time mothers spend caring for their children per week: 13.5 hours (Pew Research)

• Number of hours the average American child spends in school per year: 1,260. That’s about 35 hours a week while school is in

• Average amount of time kids 9 and under spend watching TV per week: 35 hours, or about 5 hours a day. This does not include time on tablets or other smart devices (entertainment.time.com quoting a study published by Nickelodeon in 2013)

• Amount of daily screen time recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics: 1-2 hours per day.

• Average amount of time US adults spend watching TV per week: 46 hours (nielsen.com)

• Average amount of time US adults spend using Smartphone apps per week: 8.5 hours (nielsen.com)

• Number of Saturdays from birth until a child turns 18 years old: 936

• Number of Saturdays from birth until age 5: 260

• Percentage of children 9 and under reporting a desire to spend more time with their parents: 80% (entertainment.time.com)

• Length of time childhood lasts: The blink of an eye. Make it matter.