BRENT---you are ''''''stuck'''''with holding down the fort
guess that is what i would call my 25 years with my 4 kids then,,,,,,''stuck''''
sheesh
orb
DAD'S how much time do you spend,,,,
by Quentin 20 Replies latest social family
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Paralipomenon
I used to drive my kids to school in the morning, but I started leaving much, much earlier (6:00 am) so they aren't up. What I do though, is set aside Saturdays for the kids. Saturday mornings I look after the kids so my wife can go out and do the grocery shopping, then when she gets back I take one of them on a special "dada day".
It rotates each week for which one I take and they get to pick where to go.
We spend alot of time doing activities as a family, but I think one on one time with each child is equally important. -
Quentin
My father spent a lot of time with me when I was young...quess he got it from his dad...it rubbed off on me...
Also, kids seem to enjoy my company...even today a few of my daughters friends, when visiting, enjoy me being part of the visit...
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The Humper
well considering that my son is only 21 months old i do not take him to school. he doesnt go to day care either, my wife stays home so she usually does all the getting him up and spends the most time with him. i get up at 0500 every morning during the week, but on the weekends i do usually wake him up. in fact after i type this its time for him to get up.
humper
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Bobbi
Para also reads a book to the kids every night. He puts them to bed as well.
He watches them Saturday mornings so I can do the grocery shopping (I know I know, i should be in service, GAG ME) and I can also go to other stores I normally don't take three active boys. It is really hard to look at bras with your sons asking questions I am just not ready to answer.
He does "daddy day" with each child and they love it. All week long, "when is it my week".
We also go to the pool as a family one night a week. I get one night to go to my exercise class as well.
Para never looks at spending time with his children as "babysitting".
Bobbi -
mentalclearness
The daddy day idea is great!!! I've been wanting to do the same thing with my own children. Of course I'm a mommy but it's the same idea.. Some one on one time with each one doing something THEY like....
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bluesmurf92
I don't want to be a dad. My own was terrible, and I'm afraid I might turn into him.
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Bobbi
None of us want to be like our parents. My mother should have been spade like a dog however good thing she wasn't cause I like being here. I take the good things from my parents and fight the bad. My mom was great at entertaining groups of kids. She would let us get as dirty as we wanted and never complained about the laundry. Now, I have the same policy, if the kids are clean after playing outside all day, they didn't have any fun.
Bobbi(don't anyone tell me I am like my mother) -
BrentR
BRENT---you are ''''''stuck'''''with holding down the fort
It does feel that way sometimes considering I am the only guy in my circle of friends and family that does spend over half the week taking care of kids. I am being honest and would be lying if I said I enjoyed 100% of the time. My wife changed her mind nine months after my daughter was born and decided to go back to work. Then to compound matters every single offer we had to watch our daughter backed out right when we needed them the most. So I use the term "stuck" because I told my wife I would support her decision either to return to work or not. She uses the the term more then I do and we both use it as a slang for commited.
There are alot of jobs we have to do that we are not always happy to do. The bottom line is that we get them done and having a positive attitude is not always a requirement.
Can anyone show me one mother that does feel "stuck" sometimes???? Lets be honest.
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RisingEagle
Brent said:
"So I am stuck with holding down the fort which is like giving a chainsaw to a termite."
I'm loving that line, I sooo feel that way most of the time.
With the work schedules the way they are, I have:
Breakfast duty, lunchmaker (no tacky light blue dress, hairnet or supporthose, though), lunch monitor ("Why did you only eat your applesauce, cheesypoofs and juicebox? No don't throw away your sandwich, I'll eat it."), parent-teacher conferencer ("She climbed into her what? Locker? For an hour? Okay. Where is the principals office again?") after school busdriver, homework monitor ("The assignment says make 4 'O's' those are 'X's.' And why did you make them in permanent marker? That's MY sharpie! Leave the cat alone, she's SUPPOSED to be white! Put down my sharpie! Oh man, look at your hands....Oh no, not your white uniform shirt too! I KNOW you're supposed to change into play clothes when you get home....) afterschool snackmaker ("It's a sliced apple with peanutbutter on it. You could have told me to peel the apple first before I put the peanutbutter on...Here...NOT IN YOUR HAIR...I don't care that peanutbutter is supposed to get gum out of hair! Wait, who GAVE you gum?"), laundrydude ("Gimme that shirt, <under breath, "Spray and wash my @$$"> Don't tip over the detergent, I haven't put the cap back....It's okay I'm doing towels anyway, I'll just soak it up. No the carpet isn't 'prettier' with the blue color on it. Let me wash that off your hands...LEAVE the cat alone, she doesn't need you to wash off the marker"), Dinner chef ("No chickens don't have fingers, I just called them that. They're the same as nuggets and you eat those, don't you? No I didn't cut the fingers off the chicken. They NEVER had fingers. Don't make that face when you eat. Close your mouth when you chew. Don't use your fingers in your macaroni and cheese, DON'T TOUCH YOUR HAIR. You have a napkin wipe your hands, DON'T PUT YOUR NAPKIN IN YOUR MILK! It's okay, it's just milk. Haven't you heard 'don't cry over spilled...' DON'T PUSH THE MILK OFF THE TABLE THE CAT DOESN'T WANT ANY. Yes, the cat IS drinking it but that doesn't mean you should have... NO! You can't have a 'prize' with your 'happy meal' Do I look like a clown a red nose and big shoes? Yes, my face IS red!") Gymnastics assistant coach ("Honey wait for the other girls to finish their sommesault before you start yours...Yes ma'am my daughter kicked yours in the head. I'm sorry, say you're sorry, STOP laughing it isn't funny. Yes ma'am that looks like a bruise")
I have to stop before the 'girls' catch me, they're home from shopping.
Chris