Any guy living in the world of women will tell you that- in general- we men want to react. If a problem is in front of us, we don’t want to wait – or even think about it- we want to fix it. For good or ill, that’s us. Not to say women don’t fix things- they often fix them and they stay fixed- while us men like to use duct tape.
Here’s an real life example that I watched happen just Saturday evening. I was at Chipotle with my middle daughter and her friend (LOVE Chipotle. Any place with a burrito the size and weight of a small baby is a friend of mine). Directly across from us, and in my view, was a table with a young family. Mom, Dad, baby, and little girl probably about 8 years old. I could tell, because I have a few of these myself, that the 8 year old was a princess. She was fashionably dressed and she liked it. That’s when it happened: she spilled her Sprite all over her lap. Now here’s the telling part of the story: what do the parents do? In that tenth of second of the ice cold drink hitting princess’ lap (and right as she is looking at mom and starting to cry), Dad is already in motion, jumping up and running to get extra napkins to clean up the mess. Mom? Didn’t even shift her weight to get up. BUT, she did move across the table to reach out to her daughter and starts rattling off comforting things about it being okay, don’t worry, it won’t stain, etc.
Is that just THAT family dynamic? It is. Does that mean MOST families perform that way? I think it does. Not all, but most. If you are doubting this or thinking I’m sexist for saying it, then you haven’t had kids yet. Talk to me when you do. (But I still hope you like my strip because I still like you.)
Oh…. that explains things. Usually, we laugh and point, then fix.
May not have kids, but I was raised by both parents. In that family, dad was the comforter, and mother the fixer. And yet dad was as manly as they come (had brothers growing up – no sisters), and mother the stereotypical equivalent of her gender too (a LOT more sisters than brothers).
At least I know where I would stand, from experience with all my various nieces and nephews, that I would take after my father. Then again, maybe that’s only natural that I take after him in personality and interests since I’m rather masculine minded for a woman.
Had two older brothers and a little sister growing up. No clue how my sister turned out so stereotypically femme.
Loving it! How many times have we gone over this in or house…not enough for me yet.
Father of 4