I'd rather wrestle

Hey oh, Dynasty Dad, here.  Where every week we address the hardships of being a dad with the jokes and absurd antics of Jackie Moon. 

🎪This week's antics: Being a dad feels like a circus (most days) 🎪

Dad Meme and Joke Of The Week

Dad Meme 

Dad Joke

Every time I get to work, I hide.

Because good employees are hard to find.  

Being a dad feels like a circus (most days) 

Being a dad feels like a circus most days. 

And not the Cirque du Soleil kind.

Most days feel more like Jackie Moon wrestling Dewey the Killer Bear in Semi-Pro, entertaining but on the edge of chaos.   

There are many days it feels like I’m shouting “Spumoni” but it doesn’t stop.  

Do you agree? 

On a recent hike, the first half, we were having fun discovering treasures of the deep woods. 

And then. 

Our youngest started crying inconsolably. 

While our 3-year-old (dead weight) wanted to be carried. 

And our 4 yo shit his pants.  

Diarrhea has a way of showing up at the most inopportune times.  

I stripped him down in the rainy, 40-degree weather. 

Requiring me to put down our 3 yo which sent her into a meltdown.      

I then used my son’s socks as TP (sorry future hikers, for desecrating the untainted trail).

Our nerves were shot; at that moment, I would rather have been wrestling a bear.  

And then, instead of going out to dinner as planned, we headed straight home. 

Where I had to look at the landscaping projects that have been staring me in the face for almost 2 years now.

Our yard was a bit of a wreck when we bought the house.  We spent the last 2 summers pulling shrubs and removing concrete.

We wanted to do some beautification to move our circus outside when the weather is nice and enjoy our yard.    

But we’ve had difficulty finding the time and energy amidst our routine. 

So we decided to hire someone.  

And we found a landscaping magician to help us beautify our yard so we could enjoy ourselves.  

And it was exactly what we needed. 

Offloading projects helps me enjoy the circus more.

And less stress helps to prevent it from erupting into chaos.  

P.S.  The pic is of our Space Cowboy (check out his feet and jacket) and Cowgirl enjoying our new firepit.  Apparently, Space Cowboys fly shirtless….thanks Janee! 

This Week's Interesting Read:

Unlocking Your Kid's Happiness: The Unpopular Way.

The best way for kids to be happy is to let them be unhappy. 

It may seem counter-intuitive but Ivy-League child psychologist Tovah Klein explains in her book "How Toddlers Thrive," it is the most effective way to raise happy kids.

The reason is simple.  Happiness is not an "all-the-time" feeling.  The skills to handle emotions is the key to happiness.

And kids learn how to handle their emotions from their parents. 

Meredith and I put this into practice.  Even though we are not perfect, we try.   

We believe that emotional regulation is one of the primary skills we must teach them.

Suppose one of our kids is angry because they can not have a cookie.  Instinct is to try to cheer them up, distract or get upset at them. 

But the right way, according to Tovah Klein, is to teach them how to handle their emotions.

How?

She said parents should share what they are seeing, "You sound angry".

And then suggest a tactic to calm down.  Like taking a deep breath or suggest pausing. 

Once they are a bit calmer encourage them to identify which emotion they are feeling.  Like "I'm angry I can't have a cookie."

The power comes from recognizing and handling the emotion.  This helps them learn that negative emotions will eventually pass.

It isn't always easy.  But just like everything in life.  With effort and time, we believe our kids will learn to express and handle their own negative emotions.

This quote summarizes the outcome well:

“Strength comes from being able to have these pretty intense emotions, like anger, [then] handling it and knowing that ’Mommy or Daddy is still there for me, they’re not upset with me, they’re not going to cast me aside,” 

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