Give a Gold Star to your DH

preissless1

I can't recall when we last did a "props to DH" on this board (maybe it was The Nest when the last one took place), but due to my prior post, let's give Gold Stars to our DH's as Dads/Co-Parents.

LindseyJW

my husband has the kids alone every wednesday night while i teach HypnoBirthing classes. he cooks and feeds them dinner, takes them to T's tae kwon do class, gets them ready for bed, entertains them past bedtime, and listens to them fuss in the car while they wait for me to come out after class. 

and he never complains about it.

conversely, i'm about ready to pull my hair out on t/th nights when i have them alone for all of 60 minutes before i put them to bed. i have it much easier since they are co-parented for dinner, bath, story.

i don't actually say it out loud, but i regularly complain about it in my head!

 ETA: he encourages me to get out and do things with my friends. he also has always been the one to get up with the kids when they wake at night. i nursed, so he would get up and bring them to me, then get up and put them back in their bed. now, he gets up when A wakes at 6 to bring her to me! 

vtkgirl77

For the past 4-6 weeks, we've been putting DD#2 down to bed at 7pm but then we give her a dream feed bottle around 10ish. This makes it so that she STTN. However, I'm like a tired drunk after 9pm so it is really hard for me to do the late night bottle. So, DH does it every.single.night so that I can go to sleep. I really appreciate that.

DH also watched DD yesterday when she was sick and couldn't go to DC. Since he works from home, he almost always covers the days when the kids are sick which I also appreciate. 

amh_navyblue

DH is much more patient and consistent when it comes to keeping the girls focused on something.

And he takes them both in the morning, allowing me to start my work from home schedule by 7:30am.

 

WinesNotWhines

He takes over kid duty for a couple of hours every Saturday so I can go for a run and then take a shower in peace. I really, really appreciate this.

NicoNiko

Great idea!

On the 4 days that I work, DH has the kids for 2 hours between the time he gets home and I get home.  He makes dinner on those nights (usually something new, because he hates leftovers) and I get to play a bit and then we all eat together. 

He never complains when I want to take a night off to go out with my friends.  I generally go out about once a month and he has never called to ask me anything.  A few times, I have gone out twice in one week (had one night planned and then a friend unexpectedly was in town, for example), and, again, he has no issue with it.

He used to do the midnight feedings for both kids for the first 6 weeks or so that they were eating every 3 hours.  That allowed me to sleep from about 9pm to about 3am, which greatly helped with my sanity. 

DD has never pooped on the potty with me; only with him.  I think he is more patient with that. 

Artslvr

He cooks dinner almost every night.  I hate cooking.

Anything I can do with the kids, he can do, and sometimes better. 

He can fix literally any house/home improvement problem or computer problem.  We never pay for repairmen or contractors.

victoria1212

I am spending the day tomorrow at a spa, doing some shopping and going to dinner with my mom and sister. He has not even jokingly complained about it.

 

2vthokies

Good idea, since I am absolutely guilty of acting like he does nothing (I am really trying to work on it).

Since I have been the one to ALWAYS get up with the kids at night (and for some reason DD2 does not SSTN anymore at 17 mos, even though she did 6+ hours from birth to 1 year) he takes them on Sat and Sun so I can get up when I want.  I still get up around 8, but it's nice to have an extra hour or so.

He is awesome about running out after the kids are asleep to pick up little things -  milk, paper towels, fill up my car. etc.

He never once complains if I ask for girl-time.  I don't ask often, but he always encourages it.

Recently I have started working onsite once every two weeks and I have to leave before the girls get up and I don't always know what time I will be home because of traffic.  That means he has to get them ready and do drop-off and pick up. He didn't bat an eyelash when my client asked me to start coming once a week.

When I was pg with DD2, changing DD1s poopy diapers made me hurl (I couldn't even hold her when she had pooped).  He changed almost every single poopy diaper DD1 had for almost a year+ with little complaint.

He is encouraging about my extended BFing even though hardly anyone in his family has ever BFd let alone past 1 year.

ETA:  DH is really supportive of my career.  He feels that I am underappreciated and deserve far more credit than I get.  He also thinks he should get another job making more money so that I can work fewer hours and be less stressed, but he hasn't because he knows I won't work less and because his current situation is so flexible that, even though he is a bit bored, he gets to spend a lot of time with us and can usually backfill for me at a moments notice.

Amy&Steve0421

Ugh - Bump just ate my post!

Anyways, I posted about how DH has been coming home for dinner more and pretty much putting DS to bed every other night.

I think the turning point for him was when I stopped yelling and started just explaining calmly that I was frustrated and felt I needed more support.

 

mcatmay

great idea! DH takes care of dd almost every Saturday from 8am till he puts her down at 7pm bc I work. He does a TON around the house and manages to achieve chores that I can't achieve, even when he has dd in tow. He is always supportive, especially of my career (despite his own thriving career) and reminds me of the person that I am when I forget. He pushes me all the time to be true to myself and to take time to myself, telling me that he didn't marry 'the mother of penelope' but rather the kickass, hardworking, sarcastic vet that he's known all these years. He is undoubtedly my hero over and over again, even after 8 yrs of being together.

mssaint

My DH is just awesome. He is such a good dad and is really hands-on and involved.

I wake up at night with LO, but when LO wakes up at 5:30 am, I take him in to Daddy and then I go sneak off to another room to get some more sleep. No complaints from DH, and he is the least morning-friendly person I know. 

He cooks dinner every night. And once LO is in bed, he dishes me up a bowl of ice cream :-)

MrsPhilDunphy

To be honest, he's kind of annoying me lately and I want to show him your post below.

BUT, he does the morning duty completely solo 4 days a week and that is pretty impressive. 

He pays all the bills on time. I don't even see the bills. 

He always, always takes out the trash and recycling. I don't even know what day they're supposed to go out. 

When there are treats in the breakroom at work, he usually brings home one for me. It's remarkably thoughtful. 

tomandcourt

DH packs J's lunch every. single. night. Even on the mornings where he has to leave before we get up, he makes sure his lunchbox and cups of water/milk are ready to go.

He also takes out the trash and recycling, and does a good 90% of our laundry without complaint--including the cloth diapers.

He does daycare drop-off four days of the week so I can spend a little extra time getting ready in the morning.

He pays all our bills and tracks all our banking. I used to do this, but once I set up automatic pay for most of our bills, he took over everything else. 

And, of course, he is so great with J. There are times when I lose my patience, but DH steps in and takes over. And J is definitely in the hero-worship phase where he copies everything DH says and does. It's super cute.

jenbelsan

Ok, so we're still 9weeks from due date, but I have to give props to my husband for putting up with me through this pregnancy. I have battled depression for most of my life, but have been off all meds since we found out we were pregnant.  He has been a trooper through all the mood swings, just keeps telling me how proud he is and that he loves me. Whatever happens after the birth, he has a gold star already!