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Daddy Daycare
Blake has been working a ridiculous amount lately – like 4 weeks straight, no days off, some were 24-hour days where he slept under his desk. He’s a chef at a college and with a new dining hall and the new school year just started so to say things have been crazy for him at work would be an understatement. So today he had the day off. With so many options for things to do on his day off, what does he do? Volunteers to take the boys to Atlanta for the day so that I could have the day to myself. Bless this man. I spent my day at…
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We Speak Opposites in My House
This may be a shocker, but our three-year-old doesn’t like to do what we say. It’s not just that he doesn’t like what we have to say, or that he doesn’t want to do what we ask of him, the simple fact that it came out of our mouths makes it utterly unappealing. We’ve been observing this behavior pattern for a while. When it first started and was still “cute” we would mess with him and tell him not to do things that we really wanted to do. After a couple rounds of “don’t you play Joe Diffy!” to get him to sing and play his guitar in front of…
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A Backyard Camping Adventure
So last night, after putting Brogan to bed, Blake tells me he has an idea. He smirks and gives me a look that means you’re probably going to think I’m crazy, but… he wants to take the boys camping in our backyard. My first question was if he just saw the Folgers commercial, to which he answered uh, no. Much to his surprise, I actually thought it was a great idea and I knew Brogan would love it! I immediately recused myself from participation (not that I’m sure I was even invited), since I really enjoy sleeping in my bed and was looking at this outing as a chance for…
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Crime and Punishment: The Age-old Parenting Dilemma
We’re facing the age-old parenting dilemma – how do you effectively punish your children? How do you strike that balance between teaching them boundaries, respect and the difference between right and wrong, but at the same time, not make your home a no-fun zone where you are the dictator? Theoretically, we know what we’re supposed to do. You’ve got to be firm and consistent. Be loving and nurturing. We’ve been taught to count bad behavior – we’ve read 123 Magic – we’ve actually got the book and the DVD. But philosophical guidance does you no good when you are toe-to-toe with a three-year-old, and you are unwilling to let him…
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The Difference Between Moms and Dads
Let me preface this post with a couple of statements. This is not meant to belittle the role of dads, or to say that dads don’t pull their weight. This is not a rant post or me complaining about all that I have to do. I am sure there are families where my theory does not apply. It is simply an observation of the roles within my home, as well as many of my friends’. But here goes. I realized soon after the birth of my first son that there is a distinct difference in the roles of moms and dads. Sure there are the stereotypical ones about moms being…
