Men and Women Parent Differently

When I was talking to the WWII veteran the other day, he mentioned something that I didn't include in my Memorial Day blog. He also felt that part of the reason for our decline in patriotism is because women entered the work force and left the home. He said it broke up the family, because when the war was over, they never came back home. They liked the two paychecks and all the things it bought them. Now both parents were out of the home all day, and not with the family. I can't really comment on that one, because I'm a stay-at-home mom.

For a bit of history, my husband and I had a break in service....we were divorced for four and a half years. When we reconciled, that was part of the deal. I said I would remarry him if I got to stay at home. I used to be a libber when I was a teenager. I mean a burn your bra, flaming libber. I was a partial one when we got divorced. But when we got back, I wanted to be a home-maker. I wanted to be the one my son walked to when he took his first steps, not the day care worker. My first son didn't walk until he was 2 because of being Down Syndrome, and I knew my second child would grow up so fast in comparison. That was the other part of the deal: I wanted another child.

I was just watching a video on the economy, and something just suddenly hit me. Men and women parent differently. They were talking about how things changed in 1989 because companies were not allowed to fail, but were being bailed out. That is why God gave children 2 parents, a mommy and a daddy. Women are generally softer then men. We pick up our children when they fall, kiss their boo-boos and hug them and tell them they can do it, they can try again. We are the encourager. Men say, suck it up, don't cry, be a man. When my husband isn't around, I have to remind myself not to be too easy on the children because I don't want mamma's boys. I have to be the one to say suck it up, be a man.

But, you know, I don't really know how to teach my boys how to be men. I'm not a man. I can sort of teach them how to be tough, and how to make tough decisions, but I'm a woman. I'm not a man. I can teach my son how to shave, but I can't really teach him how to go potty. I don't have the right plumbing. I can't teach him the subtleties of being a man, because I just ain't a man. God made me a woman. I can be a tough woman, but I'm still a woman.

God gave us leaders for that reason, too. But why have we not been electing leaders? We've been electing career politicians. I've been reading about the wives of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Things were so much different then. They got a pittance of a salary. When they met for congress, their bills outweighed what they got payed. They prayed that their business got taken care of quickly, so their bills didn't rack up too high. One (I can't remember which one) complained to his wife in a letter that he was staying at one hotel and eating at another and it was costing way too much. Can you imagine that today? And their families couldn't stay with them. Maybe we should go back to that now. No free room and board. You get minimum wage, and then we charge you for your room and meals out of that pay. And no medical coverage, or if you do get medical, it comes out of your pay. And no retirement for the rest of your life. Bet you'd get things done quickly.

And I'd bet we'd get patriots back in office who would fix this country. Why would they fix the country if it's their job? They're setting up a dynasty, so to fix it would be to run themselves out of a job.

Lori Ann Smith