Mr Al Young Dot Com

For the past year I have had the privilege of being able to take my kids to school each day. It is an experience that few Dads get to enjoy on a ongoing basis. This school year, I have been able to walk my son to school and pick him up every day that I have been in town. It is a fun part of the day for me. I get to know who all my son’s classmates are, and to know the teacher well. I also get to be there at the end of the school day, and get all the details of the day while it is still fresh on my son’s mind.

I have also been able to get to know all the other Moms too since only Moms are able to take their kids to school each day. With nearly half the school year gone, I think the Moms have finally accepted me as one of them. In the beginning, they looked at me suspiciously, not knowing what to make of this “Dad” that was always there. It may have been partly my fault too, as I was not always so sociable with the other Moms. I used to drop off and pick up the kids with the cellphone glued to my ear in conversation, barely acknowledging the other Moms. However, this year, I made an effort to put aside my cellphone conversations, and socialize with the Moms. Slowly, I became part of the club. I am now a regular at school, play dates, and birthday parties. As I got to know the Moms better, I got an peek into the world of Moms that most men do not get to experience. Sometimes I feel like I am a secret agent behind enemy lines, except I am not worried of being found out and killed. Here are some insights I have found about Moms.

They like to talk about their kids……a lot: The one thing I have in common with the Moms is our kids. Most of our conversations center around how our kids are doing in school, and their activities. The conversations have been very enlightening for me. I learn a lot from the Moms about school, and what to expect in the future as many of the Moms have older children. As much as I enjoy talking with the other Moms, it amazes me how they can talk about their kids so much every day. No matter what, they always seem to turn the conversation back to the kids. When I say “Hey, how about those Warriors” I only get blank stares.

They like to talk………a lot: Moms are a chatty bunch.  When they are not talking about their kids, which is not often, they are still talking.  You get a group of Moms together, and you can expect non stop chatter about kids, home, and family stuff.  I’m not much into idle chit chat, but I like to keep my ears open in case something interesting comes up.  If you have have a question about raising kid, just ask a Mom.  Ask a simple question, and you will get a long complex reply with stories and explanations.  Ask the question in front of several Moms, and you need to pack a lunch and be prepared for a day long conference on the subject.  We get several parenting magazines, but I never read them.  I don’t need to.  If I have a question, I just ask a Mom, and get a well informed, hopefully short answer.  Would you rather get an answer from someone with a degree in child psychology or a Mom in the trenches with 4 kids under the age of 6?

Moms are Motherly:  No surprise there.  We all know Moms are patient, protective, and nurturing with their kids, but you don’t realize how much so until you see it up close every day.  Moms just do things in a different way than Dads, and only they can do it that way.   When a child misbehaves or throws a tantrum, a Mom will actually spend 20 minutes or more calming the child down and finding out what is wrong.  A Dad(like myself) has no patience for that gentle “feel good” stuff.  Shape up now or get punished.  So, its good to see another parenting method at work.  While I don’t think I will ever reach a level of patience like Moms, I could certainly be a lot more patient and understanding of my kids, and Moms have taught me that.