My wife and I have a 9-month old son name Ivan. What has become quickly evident to me as a parent is that men and women approach parenting from very different angles.
As a dad, I focus on my son’s physicality. My wife focuses on feeding him, clothing him and baths. If she left it up to me, he’d be hungry, naked and dirty, BUT he’d be an amazing athlete.
So yes, it’s great that my wife keeps Ivan fed, dressed and clean, but my focus on physicality and athleticism isn’t totally without purpose. There isn’t a university out there that’s going to give him a bathing scholarship.
And, if he doesn’t get that scholarship, let’s see how my wife feels about keeping him fed, clothed and clean when he’s 18 years old and living at home.
So maybe I’m not so crazy for timing him with a stopwatch as he crawls laps across the living room floor. Maybe I’m just a college admissions consultant.
Besides, I want to brag about my son scoring touchdowns or goals or hitting home runs, not about the fact that he knows how to use a washcloth, eats 3-squares a day and dresses in smartly matched outfits.
On the other hand, thank goodness for my wife and her efforts. Because, in the end, who wants a kid who’s emaciated, schmutzy, and wears schmattes.
Thank goodness that when it comes to important stuff like eating and bathing, our son is in my wife's capable hands.