When given a choice of who would best fulfill the role of stay at home parent, wouldn't the smartest choice be the parent who can manage these roles most successfully?
It is here that I believe my skills offer numerous advantages over those of my wife in this role. Don't get me wrong. While she has been the stay at home parent, our two kids have grown to be wonderful, intelligent, loving, respectful young people who are terrific students. However, I believe the role of stay at parent can be accomplished more effectively and efficiently with far less stress in our house.
Since we became parents, I have shared numerous suggestions in positive ways with my wife on how to better handle the stress of her role. Frustratingly, much of what I have offered has gone ignored. I am a big believer in continuous learning but I have realized not everyone shares in the same. Perhaps, it is my corporate background that helps me see that even successful people and processes can be made more effective and/or more efficient.
For example, I encouraged my wife to create a more ideal homework environment in our dining room where our children do their work. I'm pretty certain that food, mail, magazines and other items on the dining room table are distracting to even the best student trying to complete daily fourth grade homework. But, despite asking my wife to spend just a few minutes each day to clear the table, the cluttered table remains the norm when the kids do their homework.
If I were the stay at home parent, I would foster a more positive learning environment so our children can complete homework with minimal stress and time. It would start with something as simple clearing the dining room table every day before they return from school.
It is here that I believe my skills offer numerous advantages over those of my wife in this role. Don't get me wrong. While she has been the stay at home parent, our two kids have grown to be wonderful, intelligent, loving, respectful young people who are terrific students. However, I believe the role of stay at parent can be accomplished more effectively and efficiently with far less stress in our house.
Since we became parents, I have shared numerous suggestions in positive ways with my wife on how to better handle the stress of her role. Frustratingly, much of what I have offered has gone ignored. I am a big believer in continuous learning but I have realized not everyone shares in the same. Perhaps, it is my corporate background that helps me see that even successful people and processes can be made more effective and/or more efficient.
For example, I encouraged my wife to create a more ideal homework environment in our dining room where our children do their work. I'm pretty certain that food, mail, magazines and other items on the dining room table are distracting to even the best student trying to complete daily fourth grade homework. But, despite asking my wife to spend just a few minutes each day to clear the table, the cluttered table remains the norm when the kids do their homework.
If I were the stay at home parent, I would foster a more positive learning environment so our children can complete homework with minimal stress and time. It would start with something as simple clearing the dining room table every day before they return from school.
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