Wednesday Wisdom: Week 11

Good Wednesday Morning to You!

 I've said this before, but my husband is a natural and gifted father.  It is not because he reads so often to the kids or plays with them on Saturdays.

David is a lot like my dad.  He is a provider and works very hard (often 6 days a week and many evenings).  My dad put in long hours with the farm, and I doubt he read to us regularly.  BUT you can be sure we all know the book he did read to us, and have the best memories of it.  It was magical when he'd read, Billy the Dog that Made Good. 

My dad made quality time with us by jumping out of the truck to pick wild daffodils or stopping to appreciate something in nature (often on the way back from checking a field). 
I guess it is no surprise that my favorite flower is the daffodil and I love the outdoors.

David is making the same kind of memories with our kids.
The kids walking back from a little exploring in the field while making firewood with Daddy.

I am learning how important it is to step aside and let my husband parent the way he was created to.  I can see how, we as mothers, might think we have the corner on parenting, but it just isn't so.  My husband can walk in, know exactly what to do, and get amazing parenting results, whereas I may have been trying for weeks to get to the bottom of an issue.  We are the nurturers, but our husbands have a strength and courage that sends the message to our children that they are not the center of the universe (a message that a doting mother may inadvertently send, right?).

I could give many examples, but this post is getting long.  I think (ha!) what I am trying to remind myself is that I need to lay down my expectations of how often, in what way, where David should parent.  The little nuts don't need a mother and a mother, but a mother and a father.  Thank God for our fathers!