A Day of Routine, Responsibility, and Family Bonds

In the stillness of an ordinary workday, my thoughts occasionally wandered to Tommy, our household's newest addition, who was spending his first extended period alone. Returning home to find the animals safe and content was a relief, particularly seeing that Tommy had navigated to a safe spot for his meals, away from Goat's curious nose.

The rhythm of the day found its cadence in the routine walk with Goat, a practice that grounds me amid the bustle of life's demands. It was after this walk that the day's tempo changed, as a call from Tsunami ushered in an unexpected but heartwarming twist.

The kids, seeking companionship after a day on their own, requested to spend a part of the evening with me. Their mother's message earlier in the day, asserting that I was not "authorized to remove them from her home," loomed in my mind. However, the children had made the decision themselves to seek my company, and I honored their autonomy by providing the care and attention they sought.

As Jupiter immersed himself in his guitar melodies and Tsunami joined me in a gaming adventure, the simplicity of our interactions underlined the essence of what it means to be a parent: to be a steadfast presence, an unwavering source of comfort and support.

This incident underscored the intricacies of navigating co-parenting without a formal custody agreement dictating such circumstances. It's a reminder that the children's needs and comfort must be at the forefront of our decisions. Their well-being is the compass by which I navigate, and I am reassured in my role as their father, knowing that they trust me to be their sanctuary when needed.

Comments

Kid on a Leash

Has anyone seen these kid leash products around? Sometimes I see them at the zoo, farmers market, or other crowded areas. If a company can make a product that will make a parent feel a little bit safer, there will always be people out there to buy it. When I see one, it reminds me of that scene in Rise of the Planet of the Apes when a leashed Caesar sees a dog on a leash and turns to Will and signs, "Am I a pet?" The idea of the product is that it will keep the child safe and nearby. It is designed to subside the fear that a child will run off or get abducted. I think that if someone is out to abduct a child during the few seconds when a parent is looking away, a leash is a very small deterrent, and likely, not effective. All the abductor would need is a nice pair of scissors or simply their fingers. The latch cannot be that hard to work. If anything, having a leash might give a parent a false sense of security causing them to pay less attention to the child. In that case it...

The Poky Little Puppy

Sometimes Jupiter likes to read the classic Golden Book tale, The Poky Little Puppy before bed or nap time. This is another of many children's stories where the intended moral of the story seems to have been surpassed by a message that, I think, conveys the nearly the opposite message. The Poky Little Puppy is a story about five little puppies who dig a hole under the fence to go out for a walk in the wide, wide world. The fifth, poky, puppy is always behind the others. Eventually the poky little puppy smells the dessert that is prepared for the puppies each night. The four other puppies smell it too and hurry home while the poky puppy takes his time. The four puppies then eat their dinner and are scolded by their mother for digging a hole under the fence with the punishment being that they do not get dessert. Then along comes the poky puppy after everyone is asleep. He is met with no dinner but left over dessert, since the four puppies were not able to eat it. This scenario takes...

Helicoptering

One thing that I think I need to work on with Jupiter is being less of a helicopter sometimes. A helicopter parent is a term for one who hovers over their children like a helicopter to the extent that they do not let them learn from their own experiences. It is a form of over-parenting. I do not think that I am as bad about it as some parents I see, but I do think that I could work on it a bit and so I have been. Mostly I have trouble letting him make a mess because it causes more work for me, but I just need to get over it and clean up the mess and be thankful that he had the chance at a new learning experience. The other day we were at the Magic House and all but one small section of the museum was closed until noon. Jupiter was playing in a water area that has a stream of water on several levels with boats and dams and watering cans, as well as a little fountain area, an enclosed water gun case, and a couple other things to help teach young children about how we can interact with w...

Kirk blAug

Search This Blog