Kids.
They plug the toilet.
They fart at the table.
They barf on the carpet.
They shit on the couch.
They run around shrieking ’till your ears bleed.
They roll their eyes, stamp their feet.
They beg, lobby, and petition endlessly.
So you do what any reasonable dad would do: you REIN THAT SHIT IN.
You clamp down. You lay down the law. You criticize, command, and control.
I get it.
And I’ve been there.
But the fact remains:
Your kids were not put in your care to make your life easier.
Your desire for peace and quiet is YOUR problem, not theirs.
So stop expecting them to grow up in a way that leaves your adult life intact.
Parenting isn’t about controlling your kids’ behavior so you can have a peaceful life.
It’s about embracing a decade or two of insanity and going ALL IN on that insanity so you can create an amazing childhood for your children.
Stop asking them to meet your emotional need for peace and quiet and order.
Meet THEIR need for wonder, magic, patience.
The vomit will mop up. The shit will wash out.
But their memory of your rage or laughter, of your scowl or smile is forever.
OK, but how?
http://www.thirdwayman.com/articles 😉
I love coming this website. It is like an oasis in the desert for men married w/ kids. We often are so busy that men can never get a place to vent, discuss and gain perspective. Thanks Bryan for providing that oasis.
Agreed. Your kids are small for a very short amount of time. Enjoy it. I want my kids to say one day, “when I was lititle my daddy would……..”