Monday, July 22, 2013

Repost: Fun Parent vs. Non-fun parent

Spin Cycle this week is a repost of a previous post. I have been blogging for almost 5 years now (my first blog was in September of 2008!) and so I can only remember blog posts from here and there. So I just started going through my posts by title. This one really stuck out to me because I am feeling a lot of the same sentiments more than 2 years later. This was originally posted on January 13, 2011. Enjoy...

***Just be aware of this post. I am not complaining just stating my version of the truth for my family. Please don't be all judgy-judgy!***

I was having a conversation via email with the hubby yesterday asking how Leo was this morning and cracking up about the things that he does. I said something about how I was taking Leo to the library after I picked him up from school and then we would go home where I hoped he would wear himself out before Leonard got home from work (around 8:30). And he sent me an email back and kiddingly told me that I was being mean and how much he had enjoyed being with Leo lately and playing with him in the evenings since I've been working later. And I sat on this nugget all day. Wondering why I always feel super-stressed out at the end of my work day and just don't always feel like playing with Leo. I always let him play or watch movies or do pretty much whatever he wants but I don't always (read hardly ever) just sit down and play.

And so after thinking about this off and on for the better part of 6 hours I came to a conclusion that I could only blog about because if I expressed this to my hubby I would be looked upon with exasperation. I am the not-fun parent. I am the one that HAS to get stuff done. I'm not saying the hubby doesn't do anything because he does. He's a good helper but he a lot of times has to be asked to do something. Because when I got off work last night I went to the grocery store, picked up Leo, went to the library. Then we got home and I had to cook the chicken for our chicken and noodles along with the rest of the stuff that goes with it, get a different supper ready for Leo because he was just SO hungry he couldn't wait. Then I cleaned out the fridge, changed the sheets on our bed and threw them in the wash with a load of towels and re-dry Leo's clothes that Leonard had left in the dryer and hung them up. Then I took out the trash in the snow and brought the trash can and recycling bin back up to the house. All before 7. And I got off work around 4:15. And I was up at the gym by 5:45. Holy crap. I'm just tired thinking about all of that! And like I said I'm not (totally) complaining but I know why I don't always feel like playing.

So I guess it's ok if I don't always want to play but I also need to look at myself and realize that I don't always have to do EVERYTHING. Maybe I can delegate more. Maybe I can just do some more on the weekends. Who knows. But one thing I know. I don't always want to be the non-fun parent!

2 comments:

VandyJ said...

There are times when I feel like the non-fun parent. Having boys makes a difference.
Nick helps around the house--but the things like dishes, cooking, laundry, cleaning mostly fall on me.

gretchen said...

I am always just totally blown away by you moms who work a full-time job. I can't imagine how hard it must be. Because you are TIRED DAMMIT! Now granted, sometimes I get tired of being with my child CONSTANTLY - I'll find myself begging him to please go to sleep and leave me alone. But I know perfectly well how lucky I am. So PLEASE don't feel bad. We all just do the best we can with what we have to do. You're doing GREAT!

Oh, and you're linked!