I read an article today on Jennifer Garner and Ben Afleck making marriage work. It was interesting, but the part I liked the most was the part about being divided down a clear mom/dad line. She explained that the items having to do with “actually functioning” were a mom thing, and anything fun was a dad thing. Put so eloquently…
“If it has to do with making food, or [doing] homework or anything that has to do with actually functioning — sorry it’s true — that’s a mom thing. And then coming in just as you’re getting them to bed and picking them up by their heels and swinging them around, that’s a dad thing. Anything fun, that is Ben.”
I think she pretty much nailed it.
Now, just to be fair, my husband generally handles the dinner part because he is Paleo and I am incapable of properly feeding our child, or myself. Supposedly. Having said that, I would give her bread if it was up to me… So maybe it’s true. Our daughter doesn’t have homework yet, but I am pretty sure my husband would agree that would be my thing. Unless it was history, in which case, thank God I married the guy who loves that stuff, because I don’t think I got above a C+ in History throughout my whole High School career. True story.
Having said all that, in our home, Dad definitely wins on the fun side. I think I’m fun too, but I definitely have a higher stress level when it comes to things like putting our 13 month old on a skateboard, throwing her into the air, or anything else that gets listed under the fun category. Has everyone out there seen the below meme?!
It’s definitely accurate in our house. But just so we are clear… I spent 10 months of my life absolutely miserable, sick and fat, growing our daughter inside of me, and then in another extremely painful experience, I pushed her out. With. No. Drugs. And from that moment on, she has been my absolute most favorite thing in the entire universe. So please excuse me if I am a little protective. I clap when she falls. She knows no pain. I’m not crazy, I’m just a mother.
Click on the highlighted part from the article to read the whole thing. I don’t know that I’m at a trust level that involves a stack of Polaroids, but for the most part, I love where she’s coming from.