Would you believe that some people think that I am a parenting expert? They even ask me for advice.
Recently, I was asked what my biggest challenge as a parent was.
I paused for a moment, sat back in my chair and smiled.
“You silly little person,” I began, “I don’t have challenges as a parent. I am perfect and know what I am doing at every second of the day.”
***
Sorry, I had to pause there because I was laughing so hard that it was difficult to type.
People, that statement is so far from the truth that is should come with a disclaimer that before it’s read a voice comes on and says, “Warning, what you are about to read is false and will probably make you cry.”
I am not any type of parenting expert. In fact, I think that being a parent is one of the most difficult things that I have ever done in my whole life. Saving people’s lives at work in the ICU is easier than raising and caring for my children.
So it goes without saying that there are plenty of challenges when it comes to being a parenting. I guess if I had to pick just the biggest parenting challenge, I am going to say my husband.
Yup, that’s right.
Now don’t get all annoyed with me and think this is just a blog post about a lazy husband because its not.
Jeff is an amazing dad. He loves the kids and they love him. From the moment Hayden was born and we became parents, we have been a team and our team was made even stronger when we were presented with triplets. If Jeff and I were not a united front our children would have eaten us alive and we would have failed.
No, Jeff is a great father and partner but he is also my greatest challenge as a parent because no matter how much I discipline, yell, scream or dance around in a chicken suit at the kids, I just don’t get the same reaction Jeff does.
The kids have this habit of taking off their socks and leaving them all around the house. This drives me insane because 1. the socks never end up in the laundry, get lost and then are not there when the kids need them and 2. well, there are dirty socks all over the house who wants to live like that?
Hayden had just come in from outside and after taking off his shoes he took off his socks and left them in the kitchen.
“Hayden,” I said as he started down the stairs to play, “Please pick up your socks and put them away.”
Nothing. The only thing that was heard was the noise of the video game that Hayden just turned on.
“HAYDEN!” I called.
Nothing.
“Hayden!” Jeff said, “Come and get your socks!”
I scoffed because there was no way Hayden could have heard him.
But hen the most amazing thing happened. It was as if Hayden suddenly was able to move at the speed of light for he appeared in the kitchen, grabbed his socks and then ran down the stairs again.
Jeff smiled at me and began to walk out of the kitchen.
“Wait a minute,” I said, “Let me get this straight. You used your normal tone, asked him once and he appeared just like that to get his socks?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Jeff said.
“I hate you” I said, “And it is not fair! I sometimes have to scream my head off to get him to hear me and even then I would have gotten no response and ended up picking up the damn socks myself.”
Jeff just looked and me and shrugged, “Sorry, babe.”
“Yeah, I know but I still hate you,” I said, “You and your magical parenting power.”
And that is my biggest challenge as a parent.
I guess maybe the women who say, “Just wait until your dad gets home, then you are going to get it” are onto something.
This post is part of Writer’s Workshop
Isn’t that crazy how it works. Same thing happens here – but they listen to me and not my husband. Thank god. I like to be all powerful.
Same! My kids run all over Josh.
and that is just how it is. Something about the male human and their tendency to resort to a physical consequence may be programmed deep inside all of our DNA strands somewhere. How does the old rhyme go? When the daddy duck said “QUACK, QUACK, QUACK”, all the little ducks came running back!
What can you do? lol
Well at least your kids listen to one of you. The Dudes don’t listen to Dumb Dad either. Unless he yells. That’s when the magic happens. They don’t care if I yell until I’m blue in the face. They’d probably not even notice my blue face unless it was standing in front of the television or covered in BBQ sauce.
Great post! I don’t have my own kids but I am a teacher and I can tell you the same thing happens to me! Im getting better though bc each year I get a new batch of kids that I try to scare from the getgo so then they’ll take me as seriously as they take their male teachers! Guess you can’t do that with your kids huh? Hahaha! Have a great day!
At the moment, the boys don’t listen to either of us – so, does that qualify as equal parenting? Ugh.
I am right there with you on this! I can yell at my kids like a wild, crazy person and it goes right by them like a breeze but when daddy says something in just a slightly louder tone all is under control. Drives me even more wild & crazy!!!
Oh, yes. I know this, same situation here. But I keep telling myself it’s because Daddy is at work the whole day and I’m the one dealing with the daily issues. And I found out that I’m getting the attention when I do the counting thing, but only when I’m using a very loud voice. It’s like the little one has a hearing problem (which he doesn’t, or course). Luckily we hardly wear socks here.
Now that my son is a teenager it’s harder to have the upper hand.
Especially when he’s taller than I am. Over the past few years I’ve resorted to…’If I have to yell…’, that usually gets a response to what I want but it’s not guaranteed.
We actually both have to scream to get either of kids to listen to us.
My throat always hurts.
That’s funny.
The same thing happens here too. I often just threaten to call Daddy to get things done.
I hate the socks and shoes all over too. Is it really so hard to take them to your room?
My husband is not scary. So they don’t listen to him.
It depends on the child in my house. 5 year old daughter- listens to me. 3 year old son- listens to Hubby. I’ve been working on my stern mom look, though, and that seems to be helping with my son.
What IS that!?!! My husband has that same power with the kids and it drives me crazy. How does the threat of violence not get these kids moving?? And yet our calm, cocky husbands walk in and say “Buddy, go sweep the driveway, feed the dog and wash the car for mom” and BOOM the kids are moving.
I’m thankful and hateful all at once.
He does have the magic. Seriously. Consider yourself lucky. It’s a holler-fest to get anyone under 5 feet tall to do anything around here… ;P
Our former parenting class teacher would have loved this.
We go back and forth. Sometimes they listen to me better and sometimes to him. I say you need a switch at the top of the stairs that cuts all power to the basement. If he doesn’t come and get the socks the first time then the switch gets flipped until he does it. I’m evil like that though.
Maybe his powers will weaken. Eric used to be all powerful but lately they aren’t listening to him either. I think it seems to happen with dads more though because they aren’t there all day having to tell the kids what to do
That’s terrible. It’s a toss-up whether to call Daddy in for backup here – he gets through to them harshly and effectively, but then I have little quivering sobbing messes of children to deal with.
I have a bunch of no-cry techniques that may take longer, and are ten times more sneaky than yelling.
Stupid socks.
This nonsense happens in my house too! Why do the dad’s get all the respect?
I have no idea. Its just not right. Not right at all.