The Rebirth of Pop Rules

Now that I am back working (Thank the good Lord), I have noticed an interesting thing about my daughter: she seems to have trouble with us leaving the room. Every either my wife or I leave the room, she looks up and says “I can’t see Mommy” or “I can’t see Daddy”.

And when I drop her off at my in-laws (another Thank the Good Lord) for daycare, she has a minor meltdown if she can’t go to the door and wave goodbye to me.

While I was unemployed/freelancing, I still continued to drop her off in the mornings so that I could work/career search. So it’s not like there was a sudden change when I went back to work. Ultimately, I don’t think that it is anything serious at this point, as my in-laws tell me that once I leave and she can’t see the car anymore, she forgets about not be able to “see Daddy” pretty quickly.

However, it did get me to thinking that there might be those fathers out there who have a more serious problem on their hands. With the economy the way it is, I can easily picture some of my daddy brethren who became “Mr. Mom” for a long period of time during unemployment, and are not back working, leaving a large change in your children’s life.

So if you’re in that boat, help us Dads out. This economy has put us all in an unique position with regards to childcare. I’m positive any advice you could give would be much appreciated. So how are you/did you handle it?

Place your advice in the comments section.

And for those of you who may have something more serious, like separation anxiety, on your hands, here’s some links that I hope help.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/separation_anxiety.html#
http://www.medicinenet.com/separation_anxiety/article.htm
http://helpguide.org/mental/separation_anxiety_causes_prevention_treatment.htm

Photo credit: helpguide.org

Those of you who have been following my writing here (thank you!) probably have noticed that I haven’t written in awhile.  That is for good reason.  Approximately three weeks ago, I was hired!  As most of you are aware, I was unemployed for a long time, and was doing freelance work to support myself.  All the while I was interviewing for the next chapter in my life.

That chapter began a month ago when I receive an offer from the Nielsen Company.  I now work with an amazing thought leader in the social marketing/researching industry, Pete Blackshaw, and just as amazing co-workers.

Obviously, the change has been great and large all at the same time.  So I have had to put this blog on hold for a bit while I got my feet underneath me at my new gig.  I feel that it beginning to happen.  So I’m back.

But as my life changes, so too will this blog reflect those changes.  With the smaller amount of time available, you will notice shorter posts.  Most likely there will be more video.  And the posts will not be regular; but rather sporadic.  Additionally, the posts will probably change in tone to one of more issues/challenges facing a young working father.

I promise to continue to find ways to bring value to being a young father in this modern world, and considering what I now will be doing for a living, I believe I will only be able to add new insights.

So I thank you in advance for any congratulations that you leave in the comments sections.  I appreciate every one of you for reading.  And I’ll be back in the saddle soon!

But until then, allow me to present you with a video representation of how I felt when I got the offer call from Nielsen.

Pure unadulterated (pun intended) happiness.  Make up whatever song you want; then take a bow.  Felt good, people. Felt good.

A lot times, we as Dads get so caught up in trying to teach our children the ways of the world that we forget they can be the best teachers for us. Soon, I will begin a new career experience, after an excruciatingly long period of unemployment (more on this in another post). So this week, I have had the joy of spending some extra time with my 2-year-old daughter.

Here is what she has taught me:

1. Hug with Abandon: Every day this week, at some point, she has come rushing across the room, full-bore, and landed square on my lap (or grabbed my leg) with a gigantic full-body (for her) hug. Now I do not recommend running at your 80-year-old “nana” like a bull in a china shop, but I do recommend the hugging your loved ones like you are trying to pour every ounce of love to them that you have.

2. Work the Room: Recently, my daughter finished a bowl of grapes and asked for more. I politely told her no. She thought for a minute, then began going to every family member in the room—consisting of myself, my wife, mother-in-law and father-in-law—saying a personal “I love you”; then asking for more grapes again. Now she did not get the desired response she was looking for (more grapes), but it did let me know that as I approach my new career, it is definitely not a bad thing to work the room, think outside the box, and always remember that there is more than one way to skin a cat (as my grandmother would say).

3. Say Hello Without Fear: Several times this week while my daughter and I were out running errands, she has said hello to people that pass by with the enthusiasm (and volume—she gets that from her old man) that is completely unabashed. Now she was always holding my hand, or standing right beside me, so she felt completely secure that “dada” was there to make sure nothing went wrong. It was not like she was walking away from me and talking to strangers. What kind of Dad do you think I am? But I do think that a great, cheerful hello can help brighten people’s day. And it isn’t like it costs you a lot of effort to do.

This week with my daughter has not only been relaxing, but educational for me as well. There’s a tag line in an old car safety commercial that says, “you can learn a lot from a dummy”. Well, this week I have changed that to, “you can learn a lot from your kids.”

You just have to stop, watch and listen.

Photo Credit: Theo Wanne