You definitely don't have to be a mother for any of these things! But here's how motherhood spurred me to be a better writer and a better person.
The Forgetting Time
1. Made me more empathetic.
Once you've crossed that boundary -- you've grown another human in your own body, had it pee in your face (I have boys), & felt its pain as your own, the lines between you and others start to dissipate, too. So it was easier for me to connect with the mothers in my book -- and the other characters, too. It helped dissolve my self-centeredness and imagine others' experiences more completely.
2. I became much more efficient
I used to mull over my words sipping cappucinos in cafes for hours on end. Now who has time? I need to get my day's work done by the time the kids get home, so I can move on to the next thing, speaking of which --
3. Helped me get over myself
No matter how your day goes -- whether you're feeling like a genius or a fraud -- your kids need you to be there for what's going on with them: their homework and school projects, victories and disappointments on the sports fields. So you do. And all that writerly grandiosity just melts away.
4. Material, Material, Material
Well, my novel is about a mother and a son, so I think it's pretty obvious I mine my relationship in some way (though this mother and son are very different). When you're in the zone, everything seems to fit right into the book you're writing, and even something as simple as giving your son a bath can lead to a pivotal scene.
5. Opened me up to Big Questions
Where do they come from, our children? Why are they the way they are, with their particular predilections and dislikes? Why are siblings often so different? How much are our children our children? These questions led me to start writing this novel.
6. Plagiarism
My kids are funnier than I am, so I've stolen some of their lines.
7. Pressure (the good kind)
My children were very aware I was writing a novel. They always asked about the book and how it was going. So actually finishing it and getting it published was important to me; I wanted them to see that if you work hard and have some faith in yourself, you can (eventually) get it done. They're really proud of me now, which is just thrilling.
8. Slowed me down
Okay, I would have written more books without kids. Self-obsessed books, in my case, but books.
9. Threw me into the present
I used to get lost in my mind for long periods (occupational hazard, perhaps); I wasn't always aware of the present. You can't do that with kids. From the time they are born, they need attention. Once I had my sons, I became much more aware of the moment I was in, the smell of the earth my son was digging in, the other children calling out in the park around us, a crow passing across the sky: there's nothing more beautiful or important than the present moment. Capturing that on paper is everything.
10. Love
This one needs no explanation at all.