As he comes through the door, a smile fills his face. Putting aside the woes and frustrations of the day, he gives his two children hugs and kisses hello. As he asks how my day went and helps to get dinner on the table, we decide what to do with our evening. A bike ride perhaps? Maybe a walk to the park? Some evenings I head out for a run on my own, do a little shopping by myself or go back to my writing.
He always starts the bath and bedtime routine, coercing the children to brush their teeth and pick out a bedtime story for Daddy to read. They truly enjoy the time that they spend with him, the time that is just for daddy and his children.
Though I don’t always remember to thank him for his thoughtfulness, I always appreciate the balance that we’ve acquired in our home, our marriage and our partnership in parenting.
***
June 17th is a day devoted to celebrating Father’s Day in North America. It’s a day to acknowledge the role of fatherhood, a day to remember Dad.
On this day, as I visit and reminisce with my own father, I will also remember the other father who plays such an enormous role in my life. My children's father.
As a stay at home mother, I’ve come to truly appreciate the part that my husband has played in my role. Were it not for his devotion, his endless understanding and his validation of my being at home, I could not be the happy, adjusted homemaker that I am. He, by accepting the role of primary provider, places value on my time with our children. He, preferring me to any other caregiver for his children, acknowledges that I am the best, most qualified person for the job.
Being a content stay-at-home mother is not limited to one person, one circumstance. It is a family decision, an arrangement that must be beneficial for all involved. It requires balance, communication, planning and open-mindedness. Trina Lambert, a work at home mother and product editor for TWINS magazine, wishes that all women could have a partner as available and present as hers is. From being the regular family cook to being a very involved parent, Trina says that her husband doesn’t worry about who each job belongs to or whether a man or a women should be doing it.
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