I work 12-hour shifts (with a 40 minute commute and 30 minutes for lunch) so I don't get home until about 8:30 or so. Tyler is such an awesome dad and totally holds down the fort in my absence... sometimes better than I could by myself. He cooks, he cleans, he takes the kids out to do something fun afterward. Super dad.
However, he told me that he's tired of all the comments he gets from strangers. Who knew that random strangers make comments to him too?! I've been tired of the comments since I was pregnant with Nora, but they just keep on coming:
(when pregnant) "Whoa, you look like you're going to pop!" "Thanks, I'm 30 weeks."
"What isle did you pick those up on?"
"Oh MAN! You have your hands full! I love my kids, but I don't miss that stage."
Lillian asks me all the time why people talk to me in the grocery store. I don't know honey. I don't know. Plus don't forget all the abuelas who want to touch my kids' hair and generally freak them out.
I guess being a man out alone with 3 kids, you get your own stranger comments, but they generally revolve on how I must be "having a night off," and imply that Tyler is the bumbling dad, clueless about how to raise children. This irritates me on many levels, not the least of which is that I am not, in fact, having a night off.
The stereotypes bother me, and also when people commented on how big my pregnant belly was. (Seriously, why do you think this will go over well?) So if you see a woman or man with a whole lotta kids in their cart and you have to say something, just say that they're beautiful, and move on.
3 comments:
AMEN. Especially to the pregnancy comment. What the heck, people.
So true! I only have two kids but it doesn't seem to matter where you are on the spectrum, everybody wants to put in their unwelcome 2-cents. I didn't ask for your opinion! I was also told I was going to pop when about 30 weeks pregnant. Gee, thanks, lady. I once corrected a lady in R.S. who told a friend of mind, in front of the entire class, that she was totally WADDLING. Hello, people! You were pregnant, too, once! Anyway. People are annoying in general, but you are awesome and so is Tyler. And your kids are beautiful. <3
How do you refrain from making up terrible lies in an effort to make the pesterer feel horrible and guilty?
I always want to say horrible things to mean people. When old ladies ask why I'm not married I tell them I was married but that my husband died in the war and that I'd rather not talk about it.
It's hard being a widower.
Also, one response that I haven't gotten to use yet is, "Oh, I was married, but my husband wanted a divorce after I cheated on him with multiple men." And then I'll just smile sweetly and walk away. It should work out beautifully.
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