Parenting should be a part-time job | Features
1 min readOK, I’ve had it! I’ve reached my limit! My tolerance for well-intentioned nonsense is kaput! Over and done with! Maxed out! Stop it! Just stop it!
I’m referring to the oft-tendered recommendation that mom and dad set aside a weekly “date night” for the purpose of taking a break from parenting and rejuvenating their marriage.
kAmu:CDE[ 5@6D 2?J@?6 24EF2==J E9:?< E92E E9C66 E@ 7:G6 9@FCD 2 H66< DA6?E 😕 E96 C@=6D @7 9FD32?5 2?5 H:76 😀 DF77:4:6?E E@ >2:?E2:?:?8 2 G:3C2?E >2CC:286n u:G6 9@FCD @G6C 2AAC@I:>2E6=J “a 9@FCD @7 H2<:?8 E:>6 A6C H66< 😀 c]ceT]k^Am
kAm(96? x 2D< A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 >2CC:65 H:E9 49:=5C6? E@ 6DE:>2E6 E96 A6C46?E286 @7 @G6C2== H2<:?8 E:>6 E96J DA6?5 😕 E96 C@=6D @7 9FD32?5 @C H:76[ E96 2G6C286 2?DH6C 😀 `_T[ H9:49 D:>A=J >62?D A2C6?E:?8 CF=6D 😕 E96 p>6C:42? 72>:=J] %92E 7FCE96C >62?D E92E E96 EJA:42= p>6C:42? 49:=5 C2C6=J D66D H92E 2 7F?4E:@?2= >2CC:286 =@@<D =:<6] u@C @?6 E9:?8[ 2 7F?4E:@?2= >2CC:286 😀 ?@E 2 dT @C `_T >2CC:286] xE’D g_T] xE’D 46CE2:?=J ?@ =6DD E92? ee]fT A6C46?E]k^Am
kAm%9:D 😀 2 724E[ 9@H6G6C 4@F?E6C:?EF:E:G6 2?5 A2C25@I:42=i }@E9:?8 AFED 2 >@C6 D@=:5 7@F?52E:@? @7 H6==\36:?8 F?56C 2 49:=5’D 766E E92? E96 <?@H=6586 9:D A2C6?ED 2C6 😕 2 4@>>:EE65[ G:3C2?E >2CC:286] p 49:=5 ?665D E@ D66 9:D A2C6?ED 6?;@J @?6 2?@E96C’D 4@>A2?J[ 6G6? E92E E96J H@F=5 C2E96C E2=< E@ @?6 2?@E96C 2?5 DA6?5 E:>6 H:E9 @?6 2?@E96C E92? E@ @C H:E9 9:>] %92E 567:?6D E96 g_T]k^Am
kAm%96 D9C:6<:?8 2?5 3=2DA96>:?8 J@F >2J ?@H 36 962C:?8 😀 4@>:?8 7C@> A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 364@>6 6?D?2C65 😕 E96 >6?E2= DEC2:E;24<6E @7 A2C6?E:?8 4@CC64E?6DD[ E96 >@DE 563:=:E2E:?8 5@4EC:?6 @7 H9:49 😀 “r9:=5C6? ?665 =@ED @7 2EE6?E:@?]”k^Am
kAm}@[ @FED:56 :?72?4J 2?5 E@55=6C9@@5[ E96J 5@ ?@E] r9:=5C6? H9@ 24E =:<6 E96J ?665 =@ED @7 2EE6?E:@? 2C6 ?62C=J 2=H2JD 49:=5C6? H9@ 2C6 C646:G:?8 6?E:C6=J E@@ >F49 2EE6?E:@?] %96 49:=5C6? 😕 BF6DE:@? 2C6 255:4E65 E@ 36:?8 46?E6C DE286 😕 E96:C 72>:=:6D]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 49:=5C6? H9@ E@=6C2E6[ 6G6? AC676C 36:?8 G:CEF2==J :8?@C65 F?56C ?@C>2=[ 52J\E@\52J 4:C4F>DE2?46D — E96J 2C6 C2C6 3FE DE:== 6I:DE — 2C6 E96 >@DE D64FC6[ 92AA:6DE 49:=5C6?] %96J <?@H E96J 2C6 =@G65] %96J <?@H E96:C 3@F?52C:6D[ 7:CDE 2?5 7@C6>@DE @7 H9:49 😀 E96J 2C6 ?@E >6>36CD @7 E96 H655:?8] ~? 2? 2G6C286 9@FC=J 32D:D[ E96:C A2C6?ED =62G6 E96 49:=5C6? 😕 BF6DE:@? E@ E96:C @H? 56G:46D[ H9:49[ DA62<:?8 2D 2 7@C>6C 49:=5 H9@ H2D =67E E@ 9:D @H? 56G:46D[ 😀 2? :?4@>A2C23=6 8:7E WD@ =@?8 2D E96 56G:46D 😕 BF6DE:@? 2C6 ?@E D4C66?\32D65X]k^Am
kAm|@> 2?5 525 D9@F=5 36 A2CE\E:>6 ;@3D] sFC:?8 E96 =23@C\:?E6?D:G6 7:CDE EH@ J62CD @7 2 49:=5’D =:76[ A2CE E:>6 😀 2? :562=] !2DE E92E A@:?E[ A2CE E:>6 D9@F=5 36 E96 DE2E6 @7 E9:?8D] wFD32?5 2?5 H:76 D9@F=5 36 >@DE @7 E96 E:>6] |@DE\@7\E96\E:>6 9FD32?5D 2?5 H:G6D E2<6 G242E:@?D H:E9@FE E96:C <:5D — ?@E 2== G242E:@?D[ >:?5 J@F[ 3FE 2E =62DE @?6 2 J62C] |@DE\@7\E96\E:>6 9FD32?5D 2?5 H:G6D AFE E96:C <:5D E@ 365 C6=2E:G6=J 62C=J 3642FD6 E96J =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ 36:?8 9FD32?5D 2?5 H:G6D H:E9@FE 5:DEC24E:@?D]k^Am
kAm|@DE\@7\E96\E:>6 9FD32?5D 2?5 H:G6D 5@?’E 92G6 @?6 ?:89E 2 H66< D6E 2D:56 7@C 36:?8 9FD32?5 2?5 H:76] %96J 2C6 9FD32?5 2?5 H:76 H96?6G6C E96J 766= =:<6 :E[ H9:49 😀 >@DE @7 E96 E:>6]k^Am