Being a parent makes you realize what your parents went through when you were a kid. You never understood quiet time, the news, my favorite show, my favorite snack, or just simply going to the bathroom. You never understood until now.
Let me give you my situation, I am a retired Army vet who served 30 years in the Army. I was a leader, when I said “jump” you were already gone. People would yell “At Ease” when I walked into a room or area. I was living life and enjoying the benefits.
Well, I retired, and three daughters later… We had the twins first, they were so cute and adorable. We would go out to eat and they would sleep through the whole meal. As they grew, they had each other to play with. We would warn people, always get them the same toy, parenting twins, and we understood the agony of one having something different from the other.
As they grew, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, then the little one comes, our new baby girl. Another addition to the family that was a little different from the twins, more aggressive and independent.
Now I, the dad, don’t eat too much ice cream, I always buy them, the mom and kids, ice cream. I only eat Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds cereal, I don’t eat the candy flavored cereal they eat either. But as they got older, they and the mom started dipping into my cereal, until there was none. I never complain. I occasionally buy myself some cashews or small candy bars, you know the miniature ones. Then they started dipping into that stash as well. Sounds familiar?
When everyone gets home from school, there is a lot of activity going on, all I, the dad, ask for is a little quiet so I can watch my 5 o’clock news. That lasted a few days but they overthrew that request as well.
I, the dad, suggested that around 8pmish is the start of quiet hour, so they sometimes go down to the basement, mom may go upstairs to shower. Then it is my time, daddy time, alone for at least an hour. But no, when they hear paper crumbling, pantry door opening, they send the scout, the little one to see what dad is doing, or they may come upstairs and bypass the bathroom in the basement, just to use the bathroom to see what dad is doing. Party over, they have invaded myspace!!!
So now I understand my parents when I was a kid, but you know what, I wouldn’t trade it for anything, they are my little girls and they always get the best of me.
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