I know I’ve declared that all I have to be is me.
Days like today, there isn’t enough me.
Today Alex needed played and played hard. He kept trying to jump on me. He wanted on my shoulders. “Baby, I can’t do that.”
“Daddy can do it.”
“I know baby, but Mommy can’t.
He wanted to wrestle. He wrestled his teddy bear. (He also gave the teddy bear pretend milk because the teddy bear was sad – well rounded boy, that Alex.)
He needed people to run, jump, fall, tumble, wrestle, bike, tussle, hug, climb and beat on.
I wasn’t that person.
I’m okay with that.
But I hate it for him.
I wonder if I buy him a chew toy if it would help . . .
I wonder if Daddies feel this way when it comes to sitting and cuddling and talking and drying tears . . .***
*** Yeah yeah yeah, that’s a generalization that mom’s are calm and dad’s are fun, but dude – there IS something to be said for playing to one’s strengths.
4 Comments
Brian
I certainly can’t speak for all dads, but this one struggles with the talking. I also see how different my boys are from my girl.
One thing that resonates from what you just said is “Days like today, there isn’t enough me.” That describes many days for me.
My kids are dying for attention, I can’t tell if it is just in general or from me or from their mom. But it’s obvious they need it. Try as I might I just can’t do enough for the three of them, and when I feel like I’m even getting close, I’m totally exhausted and have nothing at all left for any other area of life.
Gawd, this comment turned into “all about me.” Sorry about that. I love your writing. It speaks to me.
slouchy
Yeah. This mom of two boys understands.
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