fanny
When Matt and I were still trying to figure out the whole parenthood thing, I did feel that it was lopsided, that the mother had to suffer all sorts of unimaginable pain to bring the child into the world while the father got to sit to the side, smoke cigars, and pat the kids on the butt from time to time. Then the back pains and bleeding and crying and sleep deprivation and depression and anxiety and cracked nipples and hard, hard, uncomfortable breasts.
Now, we’ve started to figure it out, I have to say that that’s not an entirely accurate depiction. Not of our roles in our children’s lives.
Matt’s main contribution to our kids’ lives, aside from his very potent sperm (he looked at me naked and we got pregnant), is the time and patience he devotes to doing THINGS with them. Things that they are very interested in, but will never be able to participate if not for their father, because I am NOT interested in. Like golfing, watching golf, counting golf balls, collecting golf tees, taking out and putting back the golf clubs. Those kind of things.
Matt puts Ethan to bed every night. Sometimes they do math or play Lego. Sometimes he reads Ethan a book. Recently Ethan has started to request him to read him comic books. And I could only imagine one night I would peep in his room, and they would be talking about computer OS and Mac applications. I started to realize his contribution is as vital as mine.
Happy Father’s Day to this very geeky father.