One for the boys.......

[The Nappy Lady]

So......now I realise how scary/daunting this room is for the boys out there I thought I would try to encourage them to stop skulking in the corners!

Question 1 - what would be your ideal Fathers Day / random treat?

Question 2 - what do you reckon is the hardest thing about being a Dad?

Question 3 - do you feel, in general, that you play / will play the role of stricter parent?

Oooh a whole post without mention of bodily parts, fluids etc.....oh whoops....sorry!!!

Molly

[candj]

Good thread Molly, does that mean we can't comment on it as the questions are for dads only???

[The Nappy Lady]

I reckon we can comment on their answers as long as we play nice so we don't scare them off!

Come on Keef and Woof, give us a starter for ten!

[Keef]

I may come back and redo this, as I'm not giving it much thought...

Question 1 - what would be your ideal Fathers Day / random treat? The chance to see all my friends the night before, and get rotten drunk, and not have to worry about dealing with the baby in the morning, but just given orange juice and the chance to chill out.

Question 2 - what do you reckon is the hardest thing about being a Dad? Only been a dad 11 months so far, but I think going to work and missing her sucks. Also for me, it has been a MASSIVE change in lifestyle, so just getting used to that.

Question 3 - do you feel, in general, that you play / will play the role of stricter parent? To be honest, I think we'll end up disciplining her as Mrs Keef sees fit, whether I totally agree or not. Don't think either of us will be particularly strict, but time will tell I guess.

[KatsuQueen]

I quizzed MrKatsu and took his first answers only:

Question 1 - what would be your ideal Fathers Day / random treat? A Lie-In

Question 2 - what do you reckon is the hardest thing about being a Dad? Being tired all the time

Question 3 - do you feel, in general, that you play / will play the role of stricter parent? Definitely not. Can't even say "NO" to MiniKatsu in a suitably scary manner when he's doing dangerous activities!

[????]

Kids - 13 weeks, 2 and 4

Question 1 - To be pedantic it's a flawed question as it's two seperate offers. My biggest random treat is a night away with my missus but I'd hate that for father's day as Father's day is from the kids so a bit of a lie in and a nosily delivered homemade card is just up my street.

Question 2 - Like mum's I guess, after a few years you get used to it! - ...I conceptually miss spontaneous nights out rather than long for them as I did for the first few months of my first!

Question 3 - I am without doubt good cop to the extent my missus get's a bit peed off with me, I'm not sure gender is the key discriminator here...I'm not a natural disciplinarian. However - I certainly get a bit more short tempered with them when I have them by myself for a couple of days (as I did this week - the eldest 2)

[sillywoman]

Just polled Mr S, 4 children 6, 9, 12 & 14, his responses were:

Question 1 - what would be your ideal Fathers Day / random treat? His initial response was unsuitable for a public forum,::o followed by "a lie-in & people being nice to me all day"

Question 2 - what do you reckon is the hardest thing about being a Dad? "The exhaustion"

Question 3 - do you feel, in general, that you play / will play the role of stricter parent? "Yes", but when questioned closely recalled that when the children were younger (oldest ones 6 or 7ish) that actually I was the disciplinarian and he was 'fun Daddy' it caused some problems for a short while. As they've got older our roles have reversed somewhat, and sometimes that causes problems too.

[woofmarkthedog]

Question 1 - Fathers day in my house is like ???? said, homemade cards ect. I like a decent coffee , smoked salmon & scrambled eggs. A trip to I-max on a dull day or a picnic in Sydenham woods ( we put up our tree swing )Random treat would be riding the water flumes with my boys....ahh love it

Question 2 - Trying to keep a sense of your own identity. It gets easier as the kids get older though & the tiredness dissipates, or you just learn to stay healthy & fit as possible..

Oh..& less booze is best for good Karma

Take up Bikram Yoga for some inner strength & peace ( god I never thought I"d say that but...)

Question 3 - I am the generally "Seargent" parent but MrsW**F is pretty good at making the peace (though I do rescue them from her wrath ), it's a house with 3 boys boys to 1 girl ratio, so it's my job to show the boys how you treat girls nicely & with respect. Maintaining a level of collective calm with a set of generalfirm/fair rules to go by

Been there , done that re.. wee, poo, vomit etc.....oh whoops....sorry!!!

W:):)F

[littleEDfamily]

The other adult part of littleEDfamily says:

1. a 'fruity night in' (sicko)

2. lack of lay in at weekends

3. both equally mean and horrible

[Ant]

Three kids, 5 3 and 1.

1) For Fathers' Day it has to be a lie in! A homemade card is always nice, as is the chance to take it easy and get a nice coffee in the morning. Random Treat? Well, a night away in a hotel with my wife would top the bill right now.

2) The tiredness. The kids bickering. The constant wheedling for me to adjudicate on the most ridiculous and inane points of order. (Who's turn is it to put the plug into the sink today? I don't give a monkey's!)

3) I think I'm the bad cop. Or badder, perhaps. We both do our fair share of crowd control.

[iaineasy]

Question 1 - what would be your ideal Fathers Day / random treat?

a night out with the wife getting trashed in a hotel baby free

Question 2 - what do you reckon is the hardest thing about being a Dad?

not being a mum

Question 3 - do you feel, in general, that you play / will play the role of stricter parent?

I'm already a pushover Elsabel has me wrapped round her little finger

hugs as ever

[Keef]

Question 2 - what do you reckon is the hardest thing about being a Dad?

not being a mum

I think I know what you're saying there, and I know what you mean... Either that, or I totally don't know what you're saying.

[The Nappy Lady]

PMSL @ Keef, very funny.....maybe, like my Hubby always says, "everyone feels sorry for you being tired/stressed or whatever and they forget about me"....that's how I read it. Maybe a common cross for husbands to bear?

Iain - where you been man? We've missed you.

Molly

x

[SteveT]

1 Seeing both of my daughters at the same time and they did not become competitive and squabbly in my company.

2 the hardest thing is that you have changed your life permanently and you did not realise it at the time you did the deed. I would not turn the clock back as I think life with children is healthier for adults, as they knock off some of the sharp corners of one's personality, and they teach you probably more than you teach them.

3 they think I'm a strict dad and their friends dad's are softer, gentler, nicer, easier going, and more refined.

Both tend to talk their problems through with me, and I feel honoured and gratified that my opinion is sought.

[littleEDfamily]

Interesting comments relating to 2, SteveT. I vaguely remember some of your previous posts and you must have had some pretty sharp corners to knock off if this is the 'softened' you (meant in a nice way, and by the way I agree)! It makes me laugh as my mother-in-law has told me I too have been softened by parenthood, and if that is true, it makes me cringe a little to think just how bl**dy awkward I must have been before, as Miss Congeniality I am not!

[pebbles]

Asked Mr Pebbles and these are his replies - 2 children, 2 1/2 and 6 months

Fathers day present - night/weekend away with me, alcohol, good food and no kids

Hardest thing about being a dad - tying everything together. when i asked him what he meant he said "making sure the family unit runs smoothly" - i'm thinking cos i get so involved with the kids he's able to take a bit of a step back perhaps

strictness - he says he will definitely however i beg to differ :)

fabulous thread Molly

[wilbur1970]

The Nappy Lady Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> So......now I realise how scary/daunting this room

> is for the boys out there I thought I would try to

> encourage them to stop skulking in the corners!

>

> Question 1 - what would be your ideal Fathers Day

> / random treat?

>

> Question 2 - what do you reckon is the hardest

> thing about being a Dad?

>

> Question 3 - do you feel, in general, that you

> play / will play the role of stricter parent?

>

> Oooh a whole post without mention of bodily parts,

> fluids etc.....oh whoops....sorry!!!

>

> Molly

1. A day away from the little so and so's.... Not really!

It would be a real treat though to spend a whole day in their company without them arguing with each other!

2. Nothing, I love it. It would be nice to be included in playground gossip with the mums though.....

3. Yes, generally I am stricter and therefore this makes me the bad guy 9 times out of 10. Which I suppose should be my answer to question 2!