No, Daddy's Not "Babysitting"

When I'm out and about without the babies and run into someone I know, if it's a woman of a certain age, she will likely say something to the effect of, "Is Daddy babysitting today?" I assume it's said slightly tongue-in-cheek, because if pressed, surely these ladies would agree that a father caring for his children is fairly normal and not akin to a teenager watching them while eating all our leftover Halloween candy. But it just really rubs me the wrong way. The first time someone asked me that, I probably scowled at her involuntarily. Oops, it's not polite to scowl at your elders, especially in the South! Since then I've come up with some canned responses, such as "He's at home with the boys. He does really well with them. He's a great dad."

I mean, if the situation were reversed, and DF went somewhere without the babies, do a flock of ladies ask him, "Oh, is Mommy babysitting today?" Uh, no, I don't think that happens. He goes to work every day and I'm pretty sure his male co-workers aren't like, "Are the babies at home with Mommy? Oh, let me tell you this funny story of when I left my kids home alone with their mom!"

Perhaps we are just of a different generation. It doesn't seem strange to me at all to leave the babies with Daddy so I can go get things done. We've been in this parenting thing together from the beginning, after all. He was right there with me in the NICU learning how to change little preemie diapers. In fact, he changed a diaper before I did! He was able to take a lot of time off to be home with the boys once they were released from the hospital. Sure, during the week now, I'm the "lead parent" but he certainly knows how to take care of them, too.

I'm glad we're living in an era where childcare responsibilities aren't quite so gender-divided as they've been in the past, and I'm glad DF is such a good dad to our boys!

File under: NaBloPoMo Day 21