I have never genuinely done the “at-home-dad” gig but I have done nine months of the entire school/kindy prep and drop off at the same time I was trying to get my business started. So, in other words, I had about two hours a day where I was primary career and years later of am still recovering.
I am not about to write a blog that is putting down men in order to appreciate women, instead I will attempt this novel idea of acknowledging and appreciating someone simply on their own merits.
I want to appreciate all parents that are flawed and frazzled and committed to their children, in particular mums. I highlight mums not to excluded amazing dad’s who are fitting the same description but simply because it is appropriate sometimes to name and praise a specific group.
I think my wife is wonderful, selfless, and sacrificial for our children. She spends so many minutes every single day thinking about every little thing in regard to school, clothes, hair, homework, washing, teeth, and every little thing that helps them have a happy, healthy, and stable life.
This blog started out to be just a blog of appreciation Susie and to mum’s, but it is about to take a turn.
As I write I am thinking about every people group who might be likely to complain about an attempt to appreciate somebody which I find ridiculous. Over 18 years in media, every time you narrow a specific focus on a working mum you get complaints from people conscious about at home mums.
Whenever we talk about aspects of parenting as a couple there is a complaint because we did not talk about single mums.
Whenever we talk about any form of parenting we get complaints on behalf of those who have not yet been able to have children.
Whenever we talk about Valentines day there are complaints on behalf of singles, at Christmas it is complaints on behalf of those to whom Christmas is not a happy time because of relational loss.
Why does every statement, story, acknowledgement, activity, promotion, or event need to be so ‘all-inclusive’ that it loses the original point? Why can’t I praise and thank mum’s for working so hard at their key role without it being interpreted as an insult to those not mentioned?
Is it simply because almost all of us feel unnoticed and underappreciated all the time? Probably. However, we are not getting this issue resolved by having everything so catch-all that nobody gets the focus and appreciation. Every child at some point will highlight the absurd life philosophy we are trying to peddle out of our insecurities and object with something like, “but if EVERYBODY is special then nobody is special.”
So, the final result of this impromptu change of the angle of this blog is that I think my wife and the mother of my children is amazing. I think mum’s who are committed to their children in such a challenging role are amazing and if you want to offer a complaint because of someone who missed out on a compliment, I will get to you another time.
