Re: Re: Friday 155 - Spring in America
quote: | Originally posted by Silky Johnson
My word of advice is this: it's not even so much sharing the actual work of caring for a baby, it's sharing the mental load of parenting + homemaking in general.
Unless you already are like this, I'm talking about stuff like not waiting to be asked to do something - taking initiative to manage shit like dinner, laundry, tidying up, etc etc. Taking charge of as many decisions as you can, even stuff that seems minor, is a HUGE help.
Doing the actual stuff is not actually that hard, it's the constant mental work of planning, thinking ahead about everything, time management, decision making ON TOP of giving oneself mentally and emotionally is fucking exhausting.
Hopefully that makes sense, but it truly makes all the difference.
Don't let the feminist angle of this scare you, this article/comic sums up what I'm talking about so perfectly.
http://www.scarymommy.com/emma-you-...ed-mental-load/ |
Well, this isn't really what I was talking about.
I don't have to be asked to do anything domestic. I do all the cooking and dishes already. I do all of the grocery shopping. I make the bed and keep the house clean daily. I wash/fold clothes. I don't do every single domestic chore but I do a lot of them, without needing to be asked or thanked.
My point is that our son likes to be held a lot and it really limits the things that my wife can do. So I am trying to be as available as possible to give her that break where she can give him to me and go lie down for a minute or make a Target/Starbucks run. Being out training for 2 hours a day definitely impacts the amount of time that I can spend giving my wife a break, on top of the other stuff I have to do already.
Parenthood is a huge challenge to your patience, work ethic, consistency, and understanding of the world around you. Timing, planning, and communication are absolutely essential, and I'm grateful that we have been able to communicate how I can get all my training and other stuff done while still giving her enough time and space to take care of little man without losing her mind.
___________________
Set Archive | TA DJ Challenge
|