Mr. Mom

Not too long ago the group Lonestar had a popular song called Mr. Mom. In the song, the father loses his job and the mother volunteers to go to work while he watches the kids...with predictable results. There was a similar movie out a few years before that. If you've never been in that position, the story seems to be pretty reasonable and amusing.

But for those of us who have been in that situation, the comedy isn't so funny. And it makes fun of the men involved, implying that they are stupid and incompetent. That does a disservice for all the Dad out there who are doing their best to make it work.

For many years...ten or twelve?...the house hunk took care of the kids at night while I worked. I was a crew person at the ever popular McDonalds, closing the store six nights a week. He worked his day job, came home, passed me in the hall as I was leaving for my shift, and took care of the kids. Homework, supper, baths, laundry and whatever else needed to be done in the evening was taken care of by him.

Was it the ideal situation? No. It just was. Truth to tell, most times when Dads are in that situation its because there just is no other choice. But in my experience, they rise to the challenge. We desperately needed a second income and daycare costs were fifty dollars more than my take home pay. If we were going to have any income to actually live on, then we were going to have to split shift.

Do we need to stand up and cheer because they're doing a good job? I wouldn't get that crazy. But an occasional thank you goes a long way, doesn't it? As the economy falls into the dumpster there may be more and more Mr. Moms out there pitching in on the home front while Mom is working an evening shift. All I'm saying is that it never hurts to recognize that they're doing their part. And in the end...doing your part is what its all about.

Anny