“Don’t call my husband the babysitter!” That’s what I say to anyone who undermines his parenting role.
When my husband told me that his co-worker asked if he was babysitting our daughter, I could see how annoyed he was. “How do I babysit my own kid?” he asked.
Now that I think about it, I’ve heard this dumb statement before. To this day, I don’t understand it. Even if parents are separated or divorced, I just think it’s down right in appropriate to call a dad a babysitter.
There are times when I’d ask my hubby to watch the kids while I go to brunch with friends, and I do the same when he has something he’d like to do. But, I don’t consider it babysitting. It’s called being a parent.
I spent years as babysitter as a teen. I may ask my mom to babysit while we enjoy a couples night out. But I cringe when I hear someone refer to a dad who is with his own children as the babysitter.
Another pet peeve of mine is when people applaud fathers because they’re out and about with their kids alone. Meanwhile back at the ranch, a mom does the same and you hear crickets. Why are men praised for doing the same thing a woman does with kids. When moms spend time with their kids, it’s just viewed as normal.
I think all parents should be praised for what they do. Raising kids is a tough job and we all deserve credit. My hubby does an excellent job with our kids and that is expected because he’s their father.
So the next time you hear someone make that ignorant statement, please let them know being a dad doesn’t mean you’re a babysitter, it means your a parent and that’s what parents do.
How do you feel when someone calls a dad a babysitter?