Co-Parenting

Dan and I are a wonderful team. We really are. For the past three or four days, we’ve had the same thought at the same time on multiple occasions. Dan suggested that our C:/ drives must be full, so we’re accessing the shared drive like he does at work. I found that more than adequately descriptive ☺

But it’s not just the brain sharing that makes us a good team. We compliment each other’s strong points and, for the most part, communicate and work together well.

It must be pointed out, however, as I sit here listening to my dear husband trying to direct the bedtime routine in the next room, that we generally serve quite different functions. The bedtime routine? Not his function. I take for granted sometimes that I’m the one who set up the routines and, 90% of the time, I’m the one who makes them happen. When he’s kind enough to step in for me, so that I might, say, write a blog entry, I realize the complexity of the system.

Maybe my kids are more high-maintenance than others. I don’t really know. But I do know that they each take a different multi-vitamin (he doesn’t like the gummy ones, she doesn’t like the crunchy ones), one likes her milk warm, the other cold, both now take their evening inositol (a natural supplement) in apple sauce, but that just changed for Gavin today. One has to have his coromega (omega 3 fatty acids in a yogurt-like form) in a spoon while the other sucks hers right out of the packet. Then there’s the matter of snacks: One generally has a bed time snack, the other does not—she’s not a big eater and her warm milk is usually enough for her (and for me, who wants to make sure she gets enough protein on a daily basis). Makes perfect sense to me.

The key, as a co-parent, is not to give in to the temptation to roll my eyes and sigh and think, “Does he live under a rock?!? How can he not KNOW this stuff???” and then run in there to fix everything.

—Oh, how funny! Dan just warmed Gavin’s milk (it’s supposed to be cold) and Gavin said, “Papa, I asked for it cold.” “Oh,” responded Dan. “I forgot.” Gavin replied, “This really is an ADHD family.” Hah! (Watch for my upcoming blog: “Adventures in ADHD.”)—.

As I was saying, the important thing is that I am grateful for his willingness to pitch in when needed. Much as I tease him, he really is a team player and it’s obvious every day that he loves his children and his wife. Can anyone ask for more than that?

But, really. Gavin’s milk is always cold…!