But being somewhat knowledgeable about how my friends kids compare and contrast to my own, I have a general idea of how each gender can sometimes relate differently to each parent. In my case, my daughter is a total daddy's girl. I feel like Julia on that show Parenthood (Side note: Do you watch Parenthood? We just started, and I have to say, I LOVE IT. I'm like, 6 episodes deep and I'm like "RELATE RELATE RELATE!")
Anyway, Julia Braverman is a working mom (semi-like me) who has a five year old daughter who she claims "openly prefers" her husband. Now granted, he's a stay at home dad, but I relate to it in the sense that she is kind of the business end of the parent spectrum, while he is more towards the fun. This is a relationship I am more than familiar with in my house. Since I am what modern folk would call the "primary caregiver" of our daughter and soon to be second daughter, I have to deal with more tantrums, more meals, more messes and more activities in general. Which can lead to more fussing, more whining, more time outs. When we get home and Chris is there, we usually don't have anywhere we have to be for the night, so our schedule is much more relaxed. Dinner to bedtime can range anywhere from 5:30-7 or 6:30 to 8:30, depending on how good of a mood Violet is in and how badly we need her to go to sleep already.
So we walk in the door, and immediately it's like I don't exist. "DADDY!!" She exclaims, and runs into his open arms. "Play with me, daddy! Let's go outside, daddy!" I should really note that this does not bother me. It's wonderful to not only have him there when we get home most days, but to see her so thrilled. The times that tend to hurt my feelings are the quiet ones, where she very verbally expresses her desire that I NOT do something for her if daddy can do it. Like read books or give her a bath. Mommy spends a good chunk of the day caring for her, and fixing her meals, and buying her clothes, pull ups, shoes, toys, whatever she needs at the moment. But Daddy hangs the moon, so if he's there, I'm chopped liver.
This used to really bug me. Almost like I was resentful at how ungrateful my two year old was when I focused so much of my time and thoughts and feelings and fear and worry and energy just. on. her. Which is so silly if you think about it. She has no clue that I'm doing those things, and I shouldn't expect her too, or in any case do them because I expect gratitude.
What's good is that I've really realized something over the past 6 months or so that has helped me get through this incessant "Daddy this, daddy that" phase. I'll have my time with her. I take comfort in thoughts of the future, when she's in college, and home for Christmas, and we pour a glass of wine together and sneak out to the porch to talk about this guy in her English comp class that is really cute. Or on her first day of high school, when she's nervous about what she's wearing or if she'll try out for any sports, or make any new friends. Or even earlier, when she's had her first really meaningful big fight with her sister, and I can tell her what it was like to grow up with three older sisters and how they've shaped me, and it does get better. Those are my times. My moments. Those are the times when a girl might need her mama.
So for now, it's a trade off. Mean mama and fun daddy might be something my husband and I identify with for a while. Especially when I'm not only home with her all day, but having to divide my time between her and her sister. And I have my sweet moments, where she wants to snuggle or lets me be the book reader or bath giver for the night. We'll always have our special relationship, and all I can do is continue on and hope to nurture it, so that she never feels like she can't turn to both of us for help or advice or comfort. And treasure this time when the only man in her life is her daddy, and he's doing a great job.
Have a good one, folks!
Love,
Dominique
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