DADDY'S HOME!

Hey Everybody,

I hope that everyone had a GREAT Father's Day, celebrating with with your dad, with your spouse, or with your memories!

But I was wondering: Does your husband know how special he is EVERY DAY? Because he really should know! When my kids were little, we always made a big deal out of Daddy's arriving home. (Now that one is driving, we make a big deal out of her arriving home!) In the summer, the kids would have parades. Nothing is quite so cute as seeing toddlers with pots and pans banging a "Welcome Home!" for Daddy in the front yard. They would also work on pictures of what they had done that day to set beside Daddy's plate. Sometimes (and I admit, we still do this), someone will cry out the infamous words, "Daddy's home! Pretend you're asleep!" and everyone just drops, wherever he/she happens to be, into a sound sleep! After a long day at work, Daddy longs to come home to happy children and a happy wife!

If you stay at home, you can do several things to make your husband's transition from worklife to homelife smooth and easy.

1. Problems? WAIT to discuss them after dinner.
2. Dinner? Have something in the oven, in the crockpot, or on its way from your favorite pizza place. Some husbands enjoy winding down from the day by getting a meal together. If you happen to have a husband like this (blessed one!), then be sure you have all the ingredients together that he needs!
3. You? What kind of shape are you in, Mom? Take 5 minutes to pray while Daddy's on his way home. Ask God to give you energy to enjoy family time, a positive outlook in case he's bringing home problems he needs to talk about with you, and godly wisdom to help him sort through his day.
4. Tradition? Create a ritual for "daddy time" with your baby while you get things together for your evening meal. Most dads like to play on the floor with baby or take a walk outside. Also, this is a great time to introduce a bottle to your baby if you're a nursing mom.

And what if you work, too? Well, things can get a little complicated once the baby comes along. If you didn't talk about it before the baby's arrival, then it's time to talk about it now. Your evenings should not be spent haphazardly. You don't want to get home and both be wondering what's for supper. You don't want to blame each other for never having a meal together. You don't want to both be griping because the other one doesn't understand how hard you work!

If you both work, then you'll have to have a plan for dinner when you get home. You can each cook one night a week--so that takes care of two nights; fix something easy two nights (soup, salad, or sandwiches), and then have one night when you go out or order in. Whatever you do, have a plan! When you both work, celebrate: "Family's Home!" Enjoy every minute you spend together with your baby!

Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. Proverbs 4:1

~Rebecca