There is hardly a feeling that compared to the feeling of being a parent. I choose the word parent over the term motherhood because I believe both parents are equally responsible of raising a good individual. The society in general holds a mother responsible for everything that is related to a child.
From the time a mother conceives, it all begins. From how she should eat to how she should sleep. It is all about the child. The child’s weight stories, color stories, habits, behavior everything gets linked to the mother. Now let us back trace this a little, as per science a chromosome is needed both from the man and the woman to produce a child. Then why is only a mother responsible for the child’s overall development. A thought to think about right?
How the parents can equally take on the responsibilities of children will always be up for discussion and it is really a matter of personal choice as to who does what. However here are few tasks that be segregated between parents.
Burping and Nappy Changes – A new mother needs as much as rest and care as her baby. In case a mother has to breastfeed the baby then daddy can take care of burping the baby which is of utmost importance to the baby. Also mommy and daddy can take turns changing the nappies and diapers of baby. It helps both bond with the baby.
Helping with the sleep routine – Babies need to be bathed, swaddled, carried around, sung to and even read to get them to fall asleep. Daddy can help mommy with this too as more time mommy gets to rest, it will help her heal with post-partum issues. This will help keep mommy healthy and happy for the baby too.
Feeding the baby – Not all moms are able to breastfeed their babies and some need to be formula fed, Daddies can participate in this duty too. Moms and Dads can take turns in doing this as being a new parent can be overwhelming for both parents. It is best that all duties are shared between parents to give them enough time to rest, to unwind for a while and to bond with the baby too.
Picking up stuff from the Supermarket – In the Indian society, mothers are expected to buy the groceries too. This time consuming staff is performed by certain fathers too especially when they are on their way back home from work. In this era of online orders, this can certainly be taken care off by either parent.
Picking and Dropping the kids – Daddies have begun accompanying moms to doctor visits, school visits and other places too. It is after all a family thing and parents need to manage around each other’s schedule to help each other and also to teach kids about TEAMWORK
Shopping, Studies and Simple things – I seldom hear kids complain about not spending enough time with their fathers or parents in general. From schooling to taking kids for classes, parents need to equally balance the both between each other.
Amidst all the activities that I have listed here, there will be times when parents are not able to manage it equally, but they can always complement each other in whatever way they can. It is always a good relief for either of the parents to have someone don their hat for a while.
Parents can switch duties at home, work, kitchen and school too just to be involved with their kids. There is a lot that can be written about parenting, I can give you a hundred dos and don’t but it is best when experienced on your own.
We have a huge task at hand of raising good and responsible humans, it can only be accomplished if both the parents are in it together!!
