A Working Mom's Thank You to the Modern Dad

Let’s take a step back in time into a typical 1950’s home. The father worked long hours at a blue collar job, and came home to sit in ‘his chair’, read the newspaper, and smoke a cigarette. The mother most likely didn’t even drive. She stayed home and raised the babies, made dinner, and held the family together. It was a much simpler time.

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Fast forward to today, and you see a much different picture. We live in a fast-paced world now. If you are a stay at home mom or working mom, no doubt you are not just sitting around waiting to make dinner! You also know that the typical ‘father’ and ‘mother’ roles have completely shifted and meshed!

When I had my first son, I made the decision to be a working mom. I had a 6 year degree, and I loved my job. Also, the decision was partially made for me because at the time I couldn’t financially afford to quit my job. It was still a difficult decision to leave my baby to go back to work. It is still packed with obstacles as I feel like I have 2 FULL time jobs. I have read many articles over the years about the challenges that we face as working moms. They are all true, but that is not what I am here to talk about today. 

I want to give a shout-out to the Dads of ‘working mom’ families, because let’s face it- they’ve taken on a lot more than their 1950’s forefathers!

Thank you for Stepping into the Kitchen

My husband and I have a mutual agreement. Whoever gets home from work first will cook dinner. And I have to admit, it is usually him. He looks up recipes, goes grocery shopping, and makes warm home-cooked meals for our family.

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It takes a huge physical and mental burden off of me to know that when I get home from work, dinner is ready to go. It isn’t easy for him to go straight into the kitchen after a long work day and an hour commute, but he does it with no complaints.

He also helps with more chores around the house, like the dishes, vacuuming the floors, and cleaning up the house. These things may seem small, but it makes me feel supported, valued, and respected (not to mention I actually get to sit down for 5 minutes!).

Thank You for Taking on a Bigger Parenting Role

Working a full time job can be….well, time consuming. I try to tell myself that I am super-mom, but I am not. It is hard to get to everything. Luckily, my husband is there to take on more of the parenting duties. He helps the children with homework, getting them on the school bus, and taking part in the bedtime routine. 

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Some fortunate Dads may get to come home to a clean house and cooked meal and they get to relax. My husband often has to pick up a kid at daycare and jump right into parenting mode. 

On top of all of this, he still coaches their sports, goes to school events, and supports us any chance he can!

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Thank You for Doing All of this On Top of Your Typical “Dad” duties

This may sound sexist, but I am being honest here. I have never mowed the lawn. I couldn’t even turn on the lawn mower if you paid me. My husband still finds time in his busy week to get to these duties that we rely on him for.

He does it with a big smile, and patiently stops midway through cutting the yard to give our youngest son a tractor ride.

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Thank You for Still Teaching our Kids to Have Fun

Don’t get me wrong, it is not all business in our house. Even though he does a lot of work around the house, he still makes time to be the “fun dad”. He teaches the kids that it is okay to laugh at yourself and be silly. 

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Even if it is sitting down to play dolls with our daughter, he never passes up a moment to share the interests of our children, and he makes sure they feel important.

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Thank You for Teaching them Morals and Values

In all that he does, he is showing our children how to be thankful, respectful, and hardworking. Even if he doesn’t know it, his actions are living proof. He will do whatever is needed to support his wife and his family, even if it isn’t a typical “man” job.

Daily, through the way he reacts to the challenges we face as being two working parents, he is teaching our children the importance of family.

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And Lastly…

As he is taking on so much in addition to his full time job, he is showing me that he values and respects the person who I am. It would be much easier for him if I could be a ‘super-mom’ and do this all on my own, but that is not the case. And you know what – I haven’t heard one complaint so far!

If you are a stay at home mom, this certainly can still apply to you! Nowadays, kids are in more activities, we live in bigger houses, and life is fast-paced.

Ladies, we all work really hard to keep the family moving in the right direction. If you have a great partner, make sure you give them a shout-out and let them know you appreciate them!

Do you have a partner that deserves a shout-out for what they do?

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Check out my other posts!

• 11 Common Ways Parents are Accidently Raising the Weakest Generation
• 5 Remarkable Life Lessons Kids Learn from Watching Dad
• Raising Free Thinkers: 5 Ways to Empower Kids to Think Like Leaders
• 9 Simple Ways I Cured My Anxiety Without Medication (and Why it Worked)
• 21 Deep Conversation Starters That Actually Get Kids Talking

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