Work It, Dad!
with Avi Spivack
Hi, I'm Avi, and I try to put the work and the dad together, with mild success. This is all about trying to give you a view from what it looks like on the dad-man's side of the world, and I hope you find my ruminations humorous because I try not to take myself too seriously.
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Quick, take a stress test:
How stressed are you, right now, on a scale of 1 to 10?
Myself, the father half of a two-parent working family, I would say I am about a 7.8/10.
Why?
Let me count the ways…
1. The other half is on the road for the week, so I am flying solo
2. Was stuck in an important meeting and was late to get home for the babysitter
3. During the meeting while I was already going to be late, I get a call on my cell - it’s the babysitter saying don’t be late
4. She says don’t be late because she doesn’t feel well and, turns out, she was at the ER last night
5. I have to leave said meeting early to race home and ensure that all is okay
6. All is okay at home except for the un-well babysitter, so I must speak to parents about possibly taking over for said babysitter for the rest of the week while I attend meetings and get asked why I have to leave early
7. Did I mention that it is so hot outside it feels like someone is blowing a hair dryer on my face (on high) at all times?
8. And that I sweat instantly.
9. Oh yeah, don’t forget to practice piano, water the plants and flowers, talk to mother-in-law, get child to bed, arrange for weekend plans, and then…
10. Deal with some sort of mysterious toilet leak, which causes
11. The bathroom mat (and my shorts) to get all wet, so must launder both, while I walk around in my underwear (which I actually enjoyed, I admit it)
12. And then it’s back to work until midnight
13. Because, obviously, I had to leave early
so yeah, 7.8/10 is a tad generous, I think.
Now, are us working fathers who want to be “involved” fathers just as “stressed” as our motherly counterparts?
I say YES! Here’s what the NY Times has to say:
right here.
Convince me why you are right.
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I hate to say it, but I do feel slightly better knowing that a father was questioned as to “why are you leaving early”. Around here, the dad’s are seen as saints when they leave early to handle what can be defined as “kid stuff” (you know, pick up/drop off, doctor’s appts, school assemblies, etc.) while I get the stink eye if I happen to have a rough morning when I drop off my son and am a whopping two minutes late.
I think “working parent” is a synonym for “high stress level” some days. Some days, not so much.
CV | July 14th, 2010 at 11:09 am
My husband is the only person at his office with a child and is rarely ever able to leave early or parttake in anything that happens during the day for our child. He had trouble even leaving to goto the ER when our son was sick. No one at his office even remotely has a clue, including his boss, as to what “I have to leave on time today so that I can see my son before he goes to bed” means.
Oceans Mom | July 14th, 2010 at 4:32 pm