Both Parents Off

[MyAngels]

I've never bought into the reasoning of taking your kids to daycare to get things done - errands, work around the house, etc. I always enjoyed doing even those mundane things with the kids in tow or at home. How else do they learn about all of those things? I have three kids and we always had a lot of fun grocery shopping and the like. Heck, even now when the kids are home on break they'll go to the grocery with me, and we still have fun.

Both of my boys are very handy, capable men because they were around my dh and I working on every conceivable household project. My daughter won't hesitate to tackle any kind of project, either. Even when they were too small to participate, they were there. It must have rubbed off on them .

When my kids talk today about a lot of their friends, and their inability to cope with even small problems without running home to mommy and daddy I realize that I did my kids a tremendous service by teaching them about the "real" in "real life."

Okay, I guess I can put my soapbox away now!::

[SuperNinjaMommy]

Yah I'm absolutely not digging on the parents who do this once in a blue moon. More power to you for those 1 or 2 days out of the year when you get a break. We all need a break from here to there. I'm talking about the parents who do it constantly. As in, I've provided for this family for 8 months and they have done it at least once a month, sometimes more in that month.

[Jewels]

I've never bought into the reasoning of taking your kids to daycare to get things done - errands, work around the house, etc. I always enjoyed doing even those mundane things with the kids in tow or at home. How else do they learn about all of those things? I have three kids and we always had a lot of fun grocery shopping and the like. Heck, even now when the kids are home on break they'll go to the grocery with me, and we still have fun.

Both of my boys are very handy, capable men because they were around my dh and I working on every conceivable household project. My daughter won't hesitate to tackle any kind of project, either. Even when they were too small to participate, they were there. It must have rubbed off on them .

When my kids talk today about a lot of their friends, and their inability to cope with even small problems without running home to mommy and daddy I realize that I did my kids a tremendous service by teaching them about the "real" in "real life."

Okay, I guess I can put my soapbox away now!::

Wow well you are just a super hero of mothers, I bow down to you! I laugh at the thought of my husband who can't multitask to save his life trying to refinish a deck, and watch an 18 month toddler by himself, That 18 month old would totally be into the power washing and sanding and deck staining, that sounds like fun.........I find it amazing that you would never want to clean your house without anyone around, Like I said Super hero! There are some projects little little kids don't need to be around, I don't agree with mozing the yard, with a tiny tot either, sure maybe when they are older, but I'm speaking of tots here, And I'm pretty sure a tiny tot, isn't going to struggle with learning "Real life" situations, by not being around when a chainsaw is going off to cut down a tree.

[katie]

This is what last week looked like for me. Dkg was dropped off at 6:30 am by dad. Mom calls at 6pm that she is on her way. She showed up at 8:30 pm Yep, you see that right. I was soooooo mad. "Did you get my message?" Yes! Three hours ago!!!!!!!! Obviously I said this cannot happen. Tuesday, dropped off at 7am. Dad picks up at 4. Wed 6:30am. Mom shows up at 6. Thursday, same. Friday, same. I calculate she spent 2 waking hours with her child all week. Spent the weekend with girlfriends out of town. Mom is off every Monday. She brings her to dc every time anyway. Half the time the dad's girlfriend picks up. But this Friday, the WEEKEND babysitter picked her up from my house! Yes! A babysitter picking up from a babysitter. She was going to look at new cars and didn't want to take the child! ONE child! I take 4 everywhere I go! This child never knows which parent or girlfriend or babysitter is going to get her, when, or where she is going to sleep that night. So so sad.

[MyAngels]

Wow well you are just a super hero of mothers, I bow down to you! I laugh at the thought of my husband who can't multitask to save his life trying to refinish a deck, and watch an 18 month toddler by himself, That 18 month old would totally be into the power washing and sanding and deck staining, that sounds like fun.........I find it amazing that you would never want to clean your house without anyone around, Like I said Super hero! There are some projects little little kids don't need to be around, I don't agree with mozing the yard, with a tiny tot either, sure maybe when they are older, but I'm speaking of tots here, And I'm pretty sure a tiny tot, isn't going to struggle with learning "Real life" situations, by not being around when a chainsaw is going off to cut down a tree.

I guess we will just have to agree to disagree, no bigee . And thanks, no one has ever called me a super hero mother before, even if they were being sarcastic. Peace to you and yours.

[QualiTcare]

this is basically the same as the never-ending working mom vs. stay at home mom debate. stay at home moms can't understand how/why women would want to work and miss out on time with their kids. working moms can't understand how/why someone needs to stay home all day (especially when the kids are in school) to get household chores done that they manage to do on top of working. i personally love it when someone labels themself a "stay at home mother" when their kids are practically grown. it's more like "unemployed." it would be nice if people would just own up to the fact that they enjoy having a career (or NOT) and they can all love their kids equally without the "i'm a better mom than you" mentality.

[SuperNinjaMommy]

this is basically the same as the never-ending working mom vs. stay at home mom debate. stay at home moms can't understand how/why women would want to work and miss out on time with their kids. working moms can't understand how/why someone needs to stay home all day (especially when the kids are in school) to get household chores done that they manage to do on top of working. i personally love it when someone labels themself a "stay at home mother" when their kids are practically grown. it's more like "unemployed." it would be nice if people would just own up to the fact that they enjoy having a career (or NOT) and they can all love their kids equally without the "i'm a better mom than you" mentality.

I have to respectively disagree. This debate was not what my post was about. I think that the lack of face time with parents is something that our society is facing right now. It does not mean I think I'm a better mom or that they love their children less, it's just wondering why someone has 3 children and doesn't want to spend time with them. I know they love them. This is more along the lines of why do you need to take them to daycare while putting up a christmas tree when that can be a family memory? Why when one child is sick would you risk taking that child back out again to pick up the siblings when you could have just got them then? Having children has become a status symbol for some couples rather than a decision. Again this isn't talking about every working mother, or every family that takes their kids to daycare on their days off but rather the ones who do it consistently (and I think most of us know the families i'm talking about)

[Unregistered]

Really?

Wow well you are just a super hero of mothers, I bow down to you! I laugh at the thought of my husband who can't multitask to save his life trying to refinish a deck, and watch an 18 month toddler by himself, That 18 month old would totally be into the power washing and sanding and deck staining, that sounds like fun.........I find it amazing that you would never want to clean your house without anyone around, Like I said Super hero! There are some projects little little kids don't need to be around, I don't agree with mozing the yard, with a tiny tot either, sure maybe when they are older, but I'm speaking of tots here, And I'm pretty sure a tiny tot, isn't going to struggle with learning "Real life" situations, by not being around when a chainsaw is going off to cut down a tree.

Completly and totally uncalled for. ****s to be you and your husband if you don't know how to function as a family. There are tasks that you do with kids in tow and there are tasks that you do when you are able to have the other person there to hand off to. There are also tasks that you do during nap time. If you think pp is a superhero then maybe you should aspire to be more like her rather than trying to tear her down for her successes.

[MsMe]

This weekend my family and I were at the daycare house building a new swingset. A daycare Mom and her two kids walked over to say Hello. While we were talking about what a nice day it was and all the things we needed to get done she said "oh, I know I really should pick up around my house, but what whould I do with these two?" (her husband was gone for the day)

Well I think you would do what everyone else in the world with kids would do and and do it with them in the house!!

She then turned to her sister and said "could you watch the kids this afternoon while I vacuum?"

OMG lady