Now that I’m a little way into my journey as a stay at home dad,
here are the top 10 things I’ve learned thus far, in no particular order.
1. Just because we CAN now sleep an hour later each morning,
doesn’t mean we will. Even if the kids sleep
through the wife’s early morning shower, the dog’s enthusiastic greeting with
the tail whack on the walls would even wake the dead… sleeping past 6:30 a.m. is a rarity for any of us. We are morning
people now, whether we like or not.
2. The odds of the youngest filling her diaper, when it’s time to take the boy to school, increases exponentially if we are already running late.
3. Having a second kid doesn’t make for a better night’s
sleep…now there are too sets of noises from two rooms that parents are genetically
programmed to hear at 2:00 am….no matter how insignificant.
4. My 6 year old can remember his score on Nintendo Wii U
from 3 weeks ago, but he can’t remember to be quiet for three minutes when it’s his
sister’s nap time.
5. Mini vans are not mini….and not the root of all that it
is evil in the automotive world. I hate to admit they are not only practical,
but pleasant to drive. But I’m not yet ready to say I “like” owning one. I do have my image to consider…
6. We think we’ve come a long way as a liberal society, but
people are still surprised that a Dad could and would be the one to stay home
with the kids. Newsflash to the unenlightened…real dads don’t babysit…
7. Many people still don’t get what adoption means….an adopted
child IS my “real” child. There is no grey area, no rating system.
8. It’s true that with the second child much of the bubble
wrap comes off much sooner. A little
dirt is good for the immune system right?
Add in a 6 year old big brother and this kid is going to be tough!
9. Grandparents get just as excited with the 2nd grandchild
as they did with the first.
10. When you have an “aha” moment and think you have finally
solved the parenting riddle, the kids move the goal post and once again you are
in the dark trying to figure it all out.
