Mommy goes East, Daddy West
So, here’s the thing: if it weren’t for our darling dearests, we guys would set off into the wild with just the clothes on ours and our kids’ backs. I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the young dad that decided to surprise his little girl with a day trip to Disneyland only to forget the stroller. Or some variation of this, where a dad’s bolt of spontaneity resulted in someone getting sunburnt, sick, starved, or lost.
Well, we’re not all complete dummies, but it’s those things we do more often than we realize that prove we may not be as “guided” as Mommy. Our only logical defense when we engage in such behaviors might be that we’re just trying to save time. Now this is [a little] different than cutting corners, but it’s in the same arena.
Take for example a recent Friday Movie Night at my house. My wife was out that evening, so us guys stayed a longer in the pool. We then drove wrapped in our towels to Del Taco, picked up our drive-thru dinner, then unwrapped our meals on the living room rug, immediately started and finished The Sword in the Stone, and yet we still squeezed in a few bed time games, stories, and wash up for an on-time lights out before Mommy returned. Am I running for Dad of the Year? No. No, I am not.
Point being: Dad’s compass is set a different way. Where Mommy’s points nouth, Daddy’s is south. Mommy goes east, Daddy west. Either way, we’re all meeting back at the same place from whence we came. Can the kids sense the difference? Sure. They know each parent’s use of time is unique, but what the kids value most—no matter the adventure—is that their parents shared that time with them in the first place.
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Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash