Dads of Today

The concept of "dad" has evolved a lot over the years. At 1 point we had tv shows with dads like good o' Mr. Brady from "The Brady Bunch" & funny Dr. Huxtable from the Cosby show. Dads who were around, cared about what their kids were up to, followed through with discipline when necessary, & also weren't afraid to show their kids a lil' affection every now & then. How times have changed! Now we have fathers like Bart Simpson (The Simpsons), Peter Griffin (Family Guy), Walter White (Breaking Bad), Don Draper (Breaking Bad), & Tony Soprano (The Sopranos). Dads who are push-overs, negligent, selfish, absent, burnt out, etc. Which portrayal is closest to the dads of today's times? I would sadly argue that 2nd group. Thankfully not all dads, but sadly I believe the majority. I think I may not be the only person out there with this opinion.

My husband & I went to the store the other day with our "tribe". It had been a long day & 1 of the kiddos was being a lil' more "active" & testing than usual. She received a few warnings, but her behavior failed to change. As we were checking out, she acted up 1 last time & then J had to stop what he was doing (mid loading our items onto the conveyor belt) so he could handle "his business". In parenting many times doing what needs to be done is not always convenient, but if you are willing to stay on top of things in the younger years you will help things run a lot smoother as the years go on. J ended up taking her somewhere off to the side so he could get down on her level & get down to business while I finished up our transaction. The lady behind me who had been intensely watching the whole thing grabbed me by the arm. At first I did not know what to think, but then she said to me so sweetly, "I am impressed". She went on to say how she admired that despite having so much going on, my husband was willing to stop & recognize the importance of correcting wrong behavior immediately. Not only correcting, but doing it in such a calm fashion. She said that she was impressed to see a mom handling 4 kids, but seeing a husband who was just as hands on & committed was a rarity in her opinion.

I am thankful to have a husband that is so "on the same page" with me, but like anyone, you can take things for granted from time to time. We can't ever let ourselves doubt the power of a family all headed in the same positive direction. I don't know if you have ever picked out a cart at a store that you soon found had a off wheel, but it can really start to be a bother/hassle. It really starts to interfere with the direction you are trying to go & slows you down. I am by no means saying that everything is always going to run perfectly in parenting & you both are always going to agree on every lil' thing, but if you can get the main things on the same track then the lil' bumps in the road that come up should not be so hard to resolve.

I remember when my husband & I first found out we were expecting. We always thought we were on the same page with all things parenting, but actually becoming a parent brings out so many new "issues" you never would have thought to talk about. Its a never ending journey for sure, but if both parents are willing to hear each other out, not be too prideful to admit when the other's way might be better or agree to a compromise, & present a united front in front of the kiddos then you will find that smoother road. The stereotypes of the dads of today does not have to be true for your family.

-M&M Momma


You can Be Their Hero

What's Gonna Work? Teamwork!