Much of the time, moms get all the credit for keeping the household together and in tip-top shape. They raise their children, clean the house, make lunches, and do everything else in between.
While moms definitely do most, if not all of these things, dads do, too. However, they're not always given the credit they deserve when it comes to family life.
One dad took to Facebook to defend himself and all other dads.
Jeremy and Jessica Martin-Weber are the parents of six daughters, ages 5, 7, 9, 14, 16, and 18. It's quite a handful taking care of all those kids, but the parents share responsibilities equally.
The dad says that he is no "babysitter." When Jessica left for a few days on a business trip and left him alone with his daughters, he didn't want people to think that things would get "out of control" just because he was in charge.
He is a parent like any other, and is just as capable of taking care of his own children as his wife is.
He wrote on the couple's blog Beyond Moi about his thoughts on the matter. You can read his viral post below!
Jessica, the mother of our 6 children, is boarding an airplane as I type, headed out of town, out of state, for work for the next several days.
Now to figure out who:
– will cook and feed my children
– will get them to school on time
– will pick out clothes for our youngest to wear
– will respect their routines and help hold those boundaries for them
– will hug them when they need a hug, and kiss their bruises, and tend to their scrapes.
– will comfort them with their nightmares and help them go back to sleep
– will help them with conflict resolution with their siblings
– will listen to every little detail they want to share about their day
– will read them a story, encourage them to play outside, or play a game with them
– will support and encourage my teenage daughters with their feminine “problems,” and their relationship struggles
– will model kindness, love, patience, listening, empathy, strength, bravery, and all the good things to them
Who is going to do all that stuff while their mom is away?
Me. That’s who. Because I’m not the babysitter. I’m not just their playmate.
I’m their dad. And looking after them and guiding them and caring for them is my responsibility.
And I love it — with all of its challenges.
No, the house will not fall apart or be trashed and the kids will not be ruined because dad is in charge. And no, I don’t deserve anyone’s special praise and adoration because “Wow! This dad can look after his own kids.”
I’m just doing what every parent should do, and what moms do every day without praise or adoration. It is enough that the mother of our children and I communicate our appreciation to each other for all the things we do for our family.
Please SHARE if you agree that dads should be given more credit for their parenting!
