I am always slightly bemused when the Father’s day comes around and the endless advertising hits, selling us all the things needed to show Dad how much we care, no matter how tenuous the link:
“Buy a new car and get free on road costs. Be quick, Father’s day special!”
Who buys their dad a car for Father’s day? I informed Kiley right from the start: no presents unless they are tacky crafts made with love at daycare or at home while I’m not meant to be looking. Call me strange but I’ve always wanted a rock with googly eyes glued on it. So far I have two sitting on the kitchen windowsill.
Hamish is nearly three now and Samuel is two months so you can imagine what our house is like at the moment. Sleep comes in short shifts, we take turns wearing Samuel in our carriers (Manduca for Kiley, Baby Bjorn for me) while we cook meals or just generally wrangle Hamish. He is a gentle soul and generally a good boy but he is at that age where he is constantly testing boundaries. Saying NO to any request, laying down on the floor when it is time to go out and crying at the slightest thing, even when it’s exactly what he asked for. All the while I’m working full time and Kiley is always on the clock with the business.
Amidst all this chaos there are rays of sunshine that for me make every day Father’s day. After a long day at work today I came home to Samuel grinning away at me and locking his attention onto my face for the first time in his short life. Let’s be honest, the first few months are just poos, wees, spews and screams, so moments like these are special.
Hamish is unashamedly the apple of my eye. I marvel every day at the rate he grows and learns, and I find myself missing him during the day at work. As infuriating as he can be at times, he only needs to say something cute or sweet and my heart melts. My image of having kids was having someone to feed the chooks and go up the bush with and now it’s actually happening. I know that it’s only the small “storybook” picture of what raising children is like, but for me those types of occasions make every day Father’s day.
So for mothers reading this, if your man is not as involved as he should be, help him to be so. Dads, try to find something special in your child every day so that Father’s day comes 365 days a year.
Mind you, that’s a lot of googly eyed rocks!
