Question #2 & #3: division of labor/bringing out the best

Bluedaisy asking two questions:

1) Has the division of labor between you and hubby changed since you added a 3rd child?


I've heard a couple of fathers say that with each additional child they felt more and more pressure to increase their labor at home, and I think Brian would say the same. I'm not sure that the division of which chores we do has changed much, but having three kids just means that each of us has to step in and help out more and more. There is such little time in which all 3 kids are sleeping that we are constantly evaluating how many kids we can include in a chore. Brian can rake leaves with the 2 big kids, I can take one to the grocery with me, all 3 have to be asleep to mop the floor. So we find each other working together to split things up with the kids "helping out" so we can get it all done.

We have a fairly traditional division of labor, I think. I have thought several times recently about how much he does around here that I would either have no clue how to do or wouldn't want to do: fix the plumbing, run electric line, clean the gutters, rake TONS of leaves, install ceiling fans, etc. He also takes care of the bills, because he majored in finance and I...uh...didn't.


2) What do you find that each of your children bring out in you as a mommy (good or not so good)?

Hmmm...interesting.

Luke: He brings out the silly. There's something about babies that makes us act all goofy and crazy just to make them belly-laugh. And he's getting chunkier - his thighs are so squishy and his cheeks are so chubby, I just want to kiss him all day long.  On the downside, babies make me so tired, I fear that he brings out the grumpy at time, by no fault of his own.

David: He brings out my lower lip. He is so sweet and so emotional and sensitive, that I find myself loving him and feeling badly for him a lot of the time. He was trying to keep up with a group of girls at the park who were ignoring him. He kept coming over to hug my leg and say, "You're my friend, Mommy." He's such a cuddler: the other day he had one set of fingers in his mouth, the other arm wrapped around my neck, grabbing some of my hair and some of his, twirling it. *lower lip out* He also brings out the "STOP!" He's getting more physical and aggressive, and I find myself keeping him from hurting someone throughout the day.

Katy: She brings out the teacher in me. She is so curious about everything, anxious to learn and desperate for structured adult activity. So I'm sitting down with her teaching her to tie her shoes, teaching her to write letters and spell words, teaching her to cook, do puzzles and play card games. Not because I think those things are important, but because she INSISTS. Just today I was asking her teacher how to teach her to tie her shoes. They said, "kids don't usually learn that until first grade," and I said, "but she won't stop trying and asking me to teach her!" For these reasons and more, she also brings me to my knees. I'm never sure if I'm making the right decisions or not, how best to parent her. This is true of most children, I'm sure.