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I like to call dads gentle giants. They love very hard and handle with care. Mothers tend to get so caught up in the daily activities, that it becomes second nature to do what is necessary for the family. Although dads don’t speak loudly to prove their ability to be nurturing, they do pay close attention and understand what it takes to successfully run a household and keep everyone comfortable and happy in the process.
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10 Things Dads Don’t Get Enough Credit For
1. Those first words being dada-Sure babies may have no idea what they are saying, and developmentally they aren’t prepared to put those little lips together to say, mama. Dads should enjoy those precious moments because all they say is mama after she spends hours alone with them repeating it for her enjoyment and secret jealousy!
2. Holding down the fort while mom is out of town-So many of my friends worry themselves into a full on migraine about the safety and care of the children while planning girls trips and business trips. For some reason, they feel the need to leave a laundry list of “how to take care of their children.” I always want to shake them and scream, “don’t be such a goober.” “He was a kid before!” He didn’t forget to feed himself.” “He took occasional baths.” “He brushed his teeth before bedtime.” He only stole his parent’s car and crashed it once.
3. Learning to put his daughter’s hair in a ponytail- Women think men are totally awesome when they fix things around the house. But let’s face it; nothing is greater than watching your sweet daughter prance into the kitchen alongside her proud father with the perfectly imperfect ponytail. Mothers with class bite their tongues and try to smile with that I appreciate all you do look on her face.
4. The world’s best exterminator- I simply can’t understand why some women and most girls… okay, I’ll be honest, and rat my girls and I out. We act as if we’re watching the Conjuring when we see a spider. The yelling and screaming sends my husband into a frantic crazy mode. Example: Oh no Mommy come quick! Oh my, get me a shoe. Crap I can’t kill it. Honeeeyyy, Daaaddy hurry hurry. Hubs: boom, boom, we have no idea what he’s doing to make that sound by the way. Stomp, stomp, he reaches the top of the stairs with lots of heavy breathing, what is it? A spider we all yell. Hubs: Are you serious? “Give me the damn shoe!” Wham! The spider is dead, and the girls, and I survived.
5. Scaring away the boogieman under the bed– Finding that comfortable space on the pillow couldn’t come soon enough. Then dad hears faint voice standing next to the bed. He quietly rejoices to himself because his sweet angel is standing on mommy’s side of the bed. But the rejoicing ends pretty quickly when she taps him on the shoulder saying honey, please help him get back to sleep, I literally just dozed off.” Surely he isn’t going to wimp out because he’s his hero. So he wipes the smirk off of his face and crud from his eyes, and you roar under the bed at those dust mites until they are all blown away.
6. Giving the best piggyback rides ever- Moms have stroller pushing, baby bag packing and bath time down to a science. But when it’s time for a staycation around the house, no time is more exciting than climbing onto dads back and bouncing around like riding an elephant in the safari.
7. Firing up the grill and creating the tastiest cuisines for the family– I honestly believe most men do a pretty good job in the kitchen. However, talking to wives, they seem to beg to differ, complaining that their favorite Rachel Ray set has been replaced twice. So dads just agree to disagree because he knows that his delicate queen is terrified of the overwhelmingly hot grill and want no parts of that outdoor kitchen. After a little of this and a bit of that he sits back and glows while the sounds of lip-smacking family members appreciate his talent.
8. Wearing a red and white suit, pretending to be Saint Nick– I’m sure we can all agree that creating the best bow in the entire world isn’t on the
dad’s to do list. But one thing is certain, he doesn’t have to practice a good deep Ho Ho Ho, his voice is much deeper than mom’s leaving no room for competition. So who better to keep the Santa Clause tradition going?
9. Walking your adult daughter down the aisle while holding tears- Every father is excited to learn that his princess has asked that magical question, “Dad will you walk me down the isle?” It simply stops time. It is a moment in which you can be proud. But on that day standing there behind those doors, he wraps her arm around his to prepare to give her away. Then he hears her whisper from under the veil, “I love you, dad.”
10. The best “I’m proud of you” talk before the wedding– Mothers share the excitement and laughter while zipping and tucking the bride into her gown. Dads seem to embrace the transition from father and son to man to man. The respect they share between each other on that memorable day is a bond to hold close to the heart forever.
Fathers may not do things exactly as mothers do, but they do get it done!
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Photo:Flickr/Drew Coffman
Men are not the only one’s in a box, Rashika. Think about how many ways we guilt women with the primary parent role, not unlike the primary bread winner role that men once held. Not sure if you are old enough to remember the patronizing that so many women received when entering the job market. it was a laundry list of a different kind. Guys have been hands on since way back in the 80s when I was doing it. I’ve seen it in my clients for years. We just didn’t get the press, and when we did it was… Read more »