Support | Day 10

{source}

You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

Now that Mario is down for the count, it’s almost as if I’m a single parent (although I know I’m nowhere near close to that).  In addition to “nursing” him there is the task of caring for Madison.  My goodness, what perspective I have of how much he actually helps me with around here.  

It’s one thing to know that he helps and know that having another parent in the home makes a huge difference, but it’s a whole other thing to see how true that is when you don’t have it.  

No one to help with baths, preparing food, emptying the potty or reading a story for the millionth time.  No one to share the load of taking her to school or picking her up.  No one to help pick her up and carry her when she’s being a baby or too tired to walk on her own.  I could go on and on…

Mario helps a lot.  I knew that but didn’t know that…if you know what I mean.  If you have a spouse or a significant other I implore you to take a moment to think about all the things you’d have to do if they weren’t in a position to help.  Truth be told, your spouse probably helps out a lot more than you think.  Give credit where credit is due and show appreciation when appropriate.  

If after you’ve thought for a while and the opposite is true don’t hesitate to make it known to your partner that more is required of them.  Don’t expect your spouse to be a mind reader and don’t attempt to do more than you can bear. Lord knows I’ve made that mistake!

Parenting is a lot of work.  There will be times when one partner has to do more than the other and vice versa.  But, at the end of the day, everyone has to do their part!

Hone in,