Tarynn is a great mom. So great, that she can tell another outstanding parent when she sees one, and she sees exactly that in her kids’ dad.
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I’m a good mom. No. I’m a great mom.
There may be days when I throw chocolate at my face while hiding in a closet more than I should, but generally, I’m stellar.
I cook, clean, comfort, and console. And that’s only part of my day. As good as I am at my job, there are some things my husband does better. He sees things differently than me. Maybe it’s his “logical” way of thinking, as opposed to my “emotional” way of thinking.
Whatever it is, sometimes, he’s just a better parent. Here are some of the ways daddy does it better:
- He’s a better as “Domestic Engineer”
Do you know how irritating it is to come home to a clean house? I get home from being away for the day and the kids are sitting happily at the dinner table, chatting, and eating their meal. The dishes are done, the laundry is pretty much done, and everything is put away. How? When? Wha?!! I’m with them every single day. I never get that much done-and it’s not from lack of trying.
- He’s smarter about Bedtime Routine Changes
Last week, our youngest started crawling out of his crib. Once he got the hang of it, it has been easy for him to just hop right out. I was on baby bedtime duty the first night he discovered his fun new game, and my solution left me exhausted. I would lay him down, cover him up, and then leave the room. He would be out of his crib before I reached the stairs. Once I got there, I would hear the oh-so-familiar “click” of the light switch. I would go back in and we would repeat the process seven or eight times. As I said, exhausting! The next night, my husband put him to bed and sat in the chair next to his crib. It seems like a simple change, but I hadn’t even considered it. My Little Guy stood up once or twice, but as soon as he saw daddy, he’d lie down. So, while he was putting baby to bed, daddy got to sit and relax in a rather comfy rocker, playing on his phone. And it didn’t take long for the kiddo to fall asleep.
- Daddy likes to Rough-house Play
I don’t wrestle. I don’t like tickling or being tickled. And I certainly don’t spin. These are things children are usually fond of. Daddy is up to the challenge. He’ll do a “huggy-spin” until he’s ready to pass out. He also doesn’t mind if the kiddos jump on him so hard they knock the wind out of him. These activities produce the type of laughter that makes a mama swoon. But they are not for me. I would rather keep my lunch down and watch from afar.
- Daddy is Discipline
This is a difficult one for me to admit. I feel like I do a decent job in the discipline department, but I get very little results. My husband, on the other hand, is firm when he needs to be. And when there’s a toddler having a conniption, he’s able to walk away. It almost breaks my mama brain. Of all the things he does better than me, this one is the most annoying. Once my daughter is disciplined by daddy, she is really sweet and clingy with him. When I follow through with a disciplinary action, she glares at me, and then ignores me. Because she’s three, going on thirteen.
- Daddy nurtures Independence
When we take our kids places, he’s more willing to let them explore and roam free. I’ve gotten quite a bit better with our second, but I am still a “helicopter mom.”
When I was due with our youngest, my husband took our oldest to a park. She wasn’t 2 yet and, where she had been to plenty of parks before, she had never done much on her own.
I was laid up at home waiting for contractions to start when my husband sent me a video of the 2-year-old climbing a metal ladder and going down a gigantic slide by herself. I almost had a heart attack! As hard as it was for me to watch, she was enjoying every second of this new thing called independence.
- Daddy Changes Diapers in Public
He’s not necessarily “better than me” at it, he just does it more often. So much so, that I thought it deserved a mention. Since our daughter was born almost four years ago, I have only changed the kids’ diapers in public a handful of times. How do I get out of it, you ask? I have no idea. The only thing I can think of is when my daughter was first born; I was in a lot of pain recovering from a C-Section. While out with this new infant, anytime she needed to be changed, my husband would volunteer. It must have become a habit, (a wonderful, glorious habit!), because he still does it without a single complaint.
I understand parenting is not a competition, it’s a partnership. But we all have our strengths and weaknesses. I feel very fortunate that mine and my husband’s complement each other. As long as there’s plenty of communication, we can continue to learn from each other and lean on one another through this adventure we call “Parenting”. One of the most important qualities for parents is teamwork, because it truly takes a village.
Originally published on Mama By Fire , Daddy Does It Better.
Top Photo: Flickr/Shariza
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