It is fairly obvious when I put Vivi to bed that she prefers to fall asleep on her mother. I am apparently not comfortable enough for her liking. Addie has similar quirks, since she seems to constantly prefer the company of her mother over me. I used to blame it on the fact that Casey gave Addie her first taste of ice cream. That is when Addie changed from a daddy’s girl to a momma’s girl. We both know, however, that ice cream really had nothing to do with Addie’s change of heart, though. Mothers are just better at some things than fathers.
Vivi has done nothing but reinforce this concept. And neither of us even gave that baby her first taste of ice cream! Unless it comes down to switching the inputs on the TV, mowing the grass, or carrying groceries in from the car, Casey is far better than me at most aspects of our day-to-day family routine.
Since Mother’s Day is this weekend, what better way to honor mothers than listing what they do better than us fathers.
Hugging
Even though Addie would claim that Grandpa Tyse is the best hugger in the world, mothers are definitely better huggers than fathers. What can I say, I’d rather hug a mother than a father too.
Injuries
Addie’s lucky to get a “rub some dirt on it” comment from me when she comes in with a scraped knee. Don’t even think about asking me to wash out the scrape or find a band aid. Just be tough is what I say. No question about it, Addie’s and Vivi’s mother is better at fixing their scrapes and burns than me. There is something about a mother’s touch that seems to make the injury just feel better.
Changing diapers
I still haven’t met another father who has been able to change a diaper with less than two wipes. I’m pretty sure the environment has pleaded with my wife for her to take over all diaper changing duties. I still haven’t met a poopy diaper that required less than ten wipes and a plastic bag. Somehow when a mother does the job, she barely needs one wipe and all that poo seems to stay in the diaper where it belongs.
Preparing healthy food
Have I mentioned that I don’t believe in paying for vegetables? I don’t know how many times Casey has gone on a trip and come home to find that her little girl hadn’t eaten a vegetable or fruit the entire time she was gone. It isn’t that I am anti-vegetables/fruits when she is gone, I just don’t think about it. Mothers seem to have that ability to make sure that their children receive the proper nutrition through the proper foods.
Keeping kids clean
I’m pretty sure I have mentioned that I once forgot to have the eldest daughter bathe for an entire week while Casey was gone recently. Whoops. Also, the picture above is courtesy of me. Who knew giving a three year old ice cream in the back of the car would result in that kind of mess? Her mother did. Maybe it is just that fathers were used to being dirty when they were kids, but mothers are definitely better at keeping kids cleaner than fathers.
Snuggling
Really, who can argue with this one? Even Vivi, a little baby with few requests, demands to fall asleep on her mother rather than me. When I put her to sleep, she just tosses and turns because she can’t get comfortable. Give her to her mother and bam, kid falls asleep like she’s narcoleptic–no joke.
Cooking
This may not be true in every household, but it sure is true in most of the households I’ve been around. Unless we’re cooking fried eggs it is definitely true in this household. There is nothing like a good home cooked meal from mom.
Going out and about
I don’t know how many times I have taken the kids to the store only to realize I forgot the diaper bag or that I had forgotten to pack the diaper bag. Then when I do remember to get the diaper bag and pack the diaper bag, it takes me 45 minutes to finish the task. Casey seems to have this stuff down like she works on an assembly line. Leave it to a mother to be able to get two young kids bathed, fed, packed and ready to get out of the house for an entire day in under 20 minutes.
Expressing emotion
For the longest time, my wife and Addie wondered if I even had emotions. Most mothers do such a wonderful job of expressing their emotions to their kids. I like to pretend emotions don’t exist while Casey works on finding ways of helping Addie understand just how much she loves her.
Making sick kids feel better
The last time Addie threw up, she told us she wasn’t feeling good. Immediately, Casey moved into action mode. I, on the other hand, picked Addie up and told her she would be alright. Addie promptly started barfing all over me. To keep from dropping her in fear of the vomit, I laid her down horizontally in my arms and held her like she was a spray cannon and sprayed the entire kitchen and bathroom with vomit. Yeah, Casey made sure I understood proper “action mode” (as in leave the kid alone and get a bucket) after that experience.
