I have the opportunity to write a “short post on a topic of my choosing” for Mommy’s Memorandum. And, I’ll tell you what, that’s not an assignment I take lightly. I wanted to choose this topic and choose it wisely. And it dawned on me that the best way to make this decision, giving it the attention it deserved, was to make choosing the topic of my post the topic of my post.
And here’s what I’m thinking – I’m intimidated! Here I am, a Daddy, having to come up with a Mommy Memorandum. Not a Daddy Dedorandum. I’m thoroughly out of my element as I try to come up with this parenting topic that’s suited for Mommy’s Memorandum.
And, ya know what? That’s okay. Because parenting is really all about being out of your element, out of your comfort zone. You’re leading a family through a lifetime together.
You, as a person, are figuring things out and learning your whole life. That’s what I tell my kids – We’re always learning, and that’s why it’s important to take everything seriously in school, no matter how inane it might feel. Because you’re there to, in essence, learn how to learn. You learn throughout childhood and into adulthood. Then you’re learning and figuring things out as you try to forge a life for yourself.
And, frankly, the whole learning thing kicks into overdrive when you have kids. Then you’re figuring things out, not just for yourself, but for a helpless human being whose very life depends on your competence. Their needs own you for at least 18 years. Sometimes double that or more. But it’s hard.
Hard like picking a topic to write for Mommy Memorandum when you’re naught but a Daddy. A Daddy who’s not good at making decisions. Assigning him a topic of his own choosing is a dangerous, dangerous game.
About the Author
Eric Ruhalter is the Author of The Kid Dictionary: Hilarious Words to Describe the Indescribable Things Kids Do. You can see funny videos looking inside this gift book for parents at www.TheKidDictionary.com