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The Trials and Tribulations of a Stay-at-home Dad
Parenting is Tougher Than the Army By Gary Foskuhl
"My hair is bald." (He has a short haircut as the result of a self-inflicted trim.)
"I want my car bed back." (He just got promoted to a twin bed.)
"I want my toys picked up, but I don't want to do it."
He's not even in the first grade, and he is making lists of demands!
Other times, the funniest things are those that you do not know what to make of. One of the 12-year-olds was upstairs, and she yelled down to her twin brother, "Jake, forget the mallet. Come upstairs!" And just how am I supposed to react to this? Laughter is the only option.
Another source of a chuckle is my own ineptitude. While getting out of the car at the doctor's office, my wife commented, "Gary, the baby's hair is crunchy. Why?" OK, so I used a little too much hairspray.
Why would any rational person put himself through such domestic torture? Simple. As I was writing this, I was interrupted by my 5-year-old. He had been upstairs watching a Sesame Street video. He wanted to share one of the scenes with me and dashed downstairs, grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs. We plopped on the bed together, and he rested his head against my chest. As we watched, we laughed and sang together.
Just a few moments later, I am back writing and am reminded why I stay at home. You never know when your children may want to talk to you. When they want to share something with you. When they need to hug you. I want to be there for them whenever I can.
And to be at home with them.
