I have to admit it. As a mom, I hide in the bathroom to get a few quiet minutes away from my toddler and baby. But my husband has never hid in the bathroom or anywhere else for that matter. When it comes to parenting, he's fully engaged and relentless.
When we were dating and starry-eyed, I could already see that James would be a great father. One day, we were picnicking and he asked me what I thought about having a dozen kids. I thought for sure he was joking, but he pressed the question. As an only child, I thought that was about 10 kids more than I could handle. Now after seeing how my husband cares for our two kids with boundless energy and affection, I guess he might be able to handle a dozen!
When my 18-month-old girl stands up in her crib and screams, I send in the big guns. My husband walks in there and chops her down like a fallen tree. He tells her sternly, "Go to sleep," and like magic, she lays there, quiet as a mouse.
When my 3-year-old boy is stomping because he didn't get his way, my husband doesn't disengage and leave the parenting to mom. No way – he's ready for the opportunity to teach and correct. One of his mottos is, "Don't wait, create!" At home, my husband puts our kids through the paces, teaching them to "hold hands with daddy," "give that back to daddy," "stop" and "go." Because of my husband's training, I've never had to endure a tantrum at Target or fear my toddler breaking free from my grasp in a parking lot.
Not only is my husband a great trainer, he knows how to have a good time. In the evening when I'm sitting at the computer, I'll look down to see a huge comforter moving towards me very slowly, with little giggles underneath it. When the creatures underneath are within striking distance, the comforter flips up to reveal my husband and our little kids, ready to tickle me.
You always know when my husband is home from work because the door flies open and you hear a loud, jubilant, "HE-LLO!" As a realtor, he has flexible hours and makes a point to spend time with the kids every day.
When I asked my father-in-law what it was like to raise four children (my husband was the youngest), his reply was honest. "I missed it," he admitted. "I was too busy working." My husband's story will be vastly different. He knows that love is spelled T-I-M-E. When my husband hears Harry Chapin's song, "Cat's in the Cradle" about a father who was too busy to spend time with his son, he will have no guilt. No regrets.
My husband often asks our toddler, "Are you a champ? Or a super champ?" If my son grows up to be anything like his father, he'll be a super champ for sure!
