I realize I've got a great gig here. I get to stay with my kids all day long, teach them things, play with them, and care for them. I'm here for a lot of the firsts that Ella misses because she is at work.
I also get away with more than stay-at-home mothers do. If people see me in a store with both kids crying and screaming, they think to themselves, "Poor guy." My wife, on the other hand, can be in the same predicament and will only be greeted with angry glares from people who are thinking, "Can't that woman control her kids?"
But then something comes along that makes me realize things are not as great as I'd like to think. Some people still do not respect a man who cares for his children.
So please allow me to bitch.
Last month, I suggested Leave Your Kids At Home While You Go Out And Get Trashed Day as an alternative to Take Your Daughters And Sons To Work Day. Thanks to Blogging Baby, I found that such a day currently exists.
Only there's no drinking involved.
Or stay-at-home dads.
Jen Singer, of MommaSaid.Net, created Please Take My Children To Work Day. Celebrated on June 26th, governors from Hawaii, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, and Wisconsin have made this an official holiday. Pass the party favors!
Unfortunately, I wasn't invited to the party.
According to the site, the holiday is "for at-home moms." Singer states "Stay-at-home moms are on duty an average of 100 hours a week with no sick days, no vacation days and until now, no holidays." Where's the love for us stay-at-home dads? We're doing the same things stay-at-home moms are doing, Ms. Singer.
To be fair, Singer does mention dads 1,457 words into the document: "Please Take My Children to Work Day is an honest-to-goodness day off for moms and dads like you who could use a little time to yourselves (the words mom and mother are represented a combined twenty-six times in the document prior to the first mention of dad)." The statement is part of a sample flyer designed to get the word out about the holiday. However, you're supposed to distribute this flyer to "moms at pre-school pickup" and "at your mother's group meeting." So apparently, stay-at-home dads are allowed to celebrate the holiday, they're just not supposed to be made aware of its existence.
I thought we were all in the same boat? If someone suggested Take Your Daughters And Sons To Work Day should be exclusively for working fathers to take their children to work one day out of the year, heads would roll. That holiday is not exclusionary; why is yours, Ms. Singer?
Ella says I'm making a mountain out of a molehill on this issue. She says I shouldn't let crap like this get to me.
Your thoughts?
More Bellyaching About Being A SAHD:
No Dads Allowed! This Means YOU!
Me v. Them
Don't Tell Me How To Raise My Kids And I Won't Tell You Your Eyebrows Make You Look Like A Clown
Yet Another Whinefest From Me
