The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

So on this Father's Day I'd like to talk about the Father in my own house.
The Father of this family is unique because he is that rare kind of dad, the stay at home kind.
He stays home and read stories and plays games and teaches manners. He makes sure they start their day with a banana and get enough protein. If they are sick, he takes care of them all day. Many times he takes them out of the bedroom so that the rest of us can sleep when someone is up fussing. So that I can sleep.
When people look at us out in public and toss off one of the usual trite sayings "Oh my honey you've got your hands full" I've given up explaining that no, indeed I ESCAPE every morning and that in fact - HE has his hands full. When people come by to tell me how well behaved they are, they look at us like they we are alien if I explain that it's thanks to their father who stays at home.
My children are happy and laugh most of the time. This is because they are so well loved all day long.
Their father never assumes they can't understand things, he explains complicated things to them all day long. Ask my three year old about evolution or the great meteor impact which killed the dinosaurs.
I'm not sure that he ever wanted to be a father. I know that many days he wants to pull his hair out, join the circus and never look back -from the stress. I think it's worse for him, because people EXPECT mom's to feel like this. It's as though people think the work isn't hard for him. People will actually say "but don't you want to get a job?" to him.
Unbelievable.

As if raising decent human beings isn't the MOST important job on the planet.

Eventually our children will go into preschool - and he'll go to work. And I'm sure he'll be glad to get back out into the world. But I will miss the security of knowing someone is guarding the homefront, and that my children are safe within his reach.