Today the three of us are spending a quiet day at home. As it is sunny (finally) and windy, we might break away and go to the beach somewhere; we will play that that one as we go.
I love this list of great fathering attributes I read on PhD in Parenting. I think Reed has done all of the listed. We are so blessed!
- An attached dad knows that real men use ring slings (or wraps, mei tais, etc…).
- An attached dad parents his children to sleep by lying down with them and telling imaginative stories as they head off to dream land.
- An attached dad trusts that his children will wean when they are ready.
- An attached dad takes years off of his own career to be a stay at home dad when that is what works best for the family.
- An attached dad uses tickle fights and monster attacks to elicit shrieks of joy and physical play.
- An attached dad goes to his son at night and joins him in bed when he calls out and says “Daddy, cuddle me tight”.
- An attached dad puts his chores aside and spends the morning cuddling when his daughter says, “Daddy, I need you”.
- An attached dad understands that he doesn’t need to feed formula to be an involved dad.
- An attached dad washes the cloth diapers, over and over again, without being asked, so often that the attached mom can’t remember when she last washed them.
- An attached dad knows you can be firm and set limits without hitting or shaming your children.
- An attached dad loves sharing the bed for afternoon naps.
- An attached dad marvels at the personalities and abilities of his children and beams with pride.
- An attached dad sometimes needs a break and in turn understands that the attached mom sometimes needs one too. PhD in Parenting, June 2009
Reed hasn't become the stay at home parent yet and he is a little slow on washing the diapers =) , but I think this list sums up one of the reasons why I love reading stories from other attachment-parenting families; we all adjust our behaviors according to the needs of each member of the family. No member is of a lesser value or respected any differently just because of their age, gender, or ability.