Mom vs Dad: 6 Ways We Parent Differently

0

It’s the age old debate of mom vs dad parenting styles. Whose way is better? I can’t say really, but I can share some of the funniest mom vs dad moments I’ve heard, and even experienced myself.

1. Moms nurture. Dads humiliate.

Our son was incredibly difficult to potty train. One afternoon I brought home Spiderman pull-ups. He was SO excited. I was SO excited he liked them. My husband was not so excited. 

“Princess pull-ups,” my husband said emphatically. “From now on if he isn’t wearing underwear he’ll have to wear princess pull-ups.”

Our son cried the first time we put the princess pull-ups on him, but he was potty trained less than a week later.

2. Moms keep everything running. Dads keep the kids alive.

Picture it with me: Mom has been home with the kids all day. Dad walks in just as she sets dinner on the table. The house isn’t spotless, but everything is in order. Dad sits down to dinner and says, “So, what did you do today?”

A few days later Mom takes the rare opportunity to treat herself with a trip to the salon. She swings by Target to pick up diapers on her way home. She’s been gone a total of two hours, while Dad has been home taking care of the kids. Mom walks in and sees the two-year-old peeing on the carpet. The dog has left muddy footprints all over the first floor. The toilet is clogged. And somehow the kitchen sink is full of dirty dishes, despite the fact that no one has had lunch yet. Dad walks in looking disheveled and says, “How on earth do you do it?!”

3. Moms ground for an hour. Dads ground for a lifetime.

I recently had a friend call me in a panic. Her husband had been scolding their kids as he was packing for a business trip. As punishment for their behavior her husband had taken the cords for all the electronic devices with him on his business trip. She was now stuck at home for four days with three active kids, and no screens.

We spent the next several minutes plotting her revenge.

4. Moms are attentive. Dads are distracted.

When I was two, my parents took me to the mall. My dad was supposed to be watching me while my mom tried on a new dress. There was a football game playing on one of the TVs at the electronics store. My dad carried me over and started watching the game. He was so entrenched in the game he didn’t notice that I had wiggled my way out of his arms, and wandered down the hall. Fifteen minutes later my mom found me in hysterics while a woman tried to carry out of the mall. The woman explained she had found me, and didn’t know which store I’d come from. After asking several stores she decided the only thing left to do was to take me to the police station. 

To this day I go into a panic when I don’t know where I am.

5. Moms mean it. Dads give in.

In my house everyone knows dad is the weakest link. If the kids ask mom for something and she says no, the answer is no, and the asker is out of luck. If the kids ask Dad for something and he says no, all you have to do is ask three more times within the next twenty minutes, and he’ll likely change his mind by the fourth asking.

6. Moms provide rest. Dads provide playtime.

When I put the kids to bed I read them a story, say bedtime prayers, and give hugs goodnight. They’re practically asleep before I even turn off the light.

When my husband puts the kids to bed it’s like wrestle mania. There’s laughing, screaming, and all kinds of bodies being pulled around the room. We then spend the next hour shouting, “Be quiet and go to sleep,” up the stairs.

mom vs. dad

Okay, so these examples make mom look like she’s winning. What can I say? I’m a little biased. The truth is, anytime you have two people raising kids together you’re going to find a difference in styles. It can be frustrating, for sure, but hopefully by the end of the day everyone is smiling. 

What’s your Mom vs Dad parenting story?