They say that parenting is one of the most rewarding things that you can do…I sort of agree, but sleep would be great too! Aspects of parenting however do define your daily life and I can totally agree with the fact kids change what you see as important and what you value. The scary thing is, time literally flies - it’s crazy. Looking back at what I hold dear, it is the little things that I love about being a dad.
Bath time has always been a really special time in our house - nothing beats getting the lads in the bath and refereeing the splashing and exaggerated soap distribution. Bath time gives me the chance to decompress from work and stop being boring and start being a dad again. This bonding time is really important - bath time before bed has really allowed me to do just that. With two, things have got a bit more wild. It isn’t the quaint experience you often see on Instagram when people post those lovely pictures of their bubbles and designer bathrooms, you know the ones with the well-placed products that you can only get in those posh shops. Our bath time is all-out warfare. In honesty, it normally ends with a shit (or two) in the bath. When I look back at the bathing journey it makes me feel a weird sense of reminiscence. I look back to when the boys were so small they’d fit in the sink or the tiny plastic baths that you can take anywhere.
Another thing is them falling asleep. I think there is this weird pressure for you to be able to stick the kids in bed and then go straight to sleep themselves. Ours were a nightmare to begin with to be honest, but suddenly, they start being independent and sleeping on their own from the outset and you start to miss the little cuddles and the conversations before they fall asleep. There is something about their breathing as they finally let go and succumb to sleep. “It doesn’t last forever” is what people always told us and they were totally right!
Getting home from work is the other thing that just gets me. You walk through the door and you’re greeted by an over excited child or a wall of sound that just tells you that you’re back. A kid really gives you a sense of value, they literally love you unconditionally (to start with - don’t know about teenagers ) and it’s an incredible feeling to know that you are loved.
