First Word 39

The meaning of “Daddy”

Let’s face it. Pregnancy, birth and parenting are not walk-overs. It takes hard work, focus, determination, patience and above all, perseverance. I can say this boldly because after all, I am a mother and I have been through the drill in fact, I am still in the field battling it out.

But the question is, whose children are we bringing up? Are these my children or ‘our’ children?

I ask this after realizing, somewhat, that not all our men are as involved in the nitty gritty of parenting as they are when vigorously defending their 50% (or more!) claim to child ownership. You just need to eavesdrop on a male-to-male conversation to understand just how assertive your hubby is when he speaks about ‘my children’.  Of course that is besides ‘my wife’.  They ‘own’ these two, and they do not mince words about it.

Which is really fine. In fact, most welcome.

Except that the name “Daddy” has great presence and meaning when said by a child. It is everything, associated with security and prosperity. And Love. And presence. And Help. Especially this last one, help. Being useful as a daddy.

The question is, does every daddy deserve this very special name? Sometimes when my hubby gets into the kitchen – yes, sometimes – and makes us all a great meal, I feel he is the perfect one, THE daddy My children attest to it. they rub it in ‘Daddy is the best cook!” That’s interesting, isn’t it? That the once, twice or thrice in a month masculine intervention on the cookpot makes mummy, whose been in the kitchen 29/30 days, a runners up!

I am not complaining, he does many other things as perfectly I am just emphasizing how so treasured male involvement is by the entire family.

Hence my rallying call to all daddies: Be involved!

In the lounge, in the kitchen, in the corridors, in the bathroom, in the bedroom, in the compound, in the lives of your children and the women who love you so much.

When pregnancy discomforts, nausea, crampy legs, thinned out wardrobe or crazy cravings are taking a toll on wifey, keeping her in your ozone of love. And when the time of delivery of your baby comes, be by her side, to rub her pain away and to help say, ’Puuuush!”

Here’s to happy families with loving and helpful daddies.

END:PG39/03