Ten Reasons Daddy Is More Fun Than Mommy

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Last night as I listened to my husband play with our children, I easily thought of ten reasons Daddy is more fun than Mommy! Most of boils down to the simple fact that Mom is timed— we just can’t do it all!

My friend Hillary wrote today’s post & I was cracking up. I could hear her saying it while I read the words that she wrote, and I was laughing the whole time. Hillary stays home with her daughters while her husband works out of the house.

10 reasons daddy is more fun mom (mom is tired!)

My friend Hillary wrote today’s (hilariously true) post & I think most parents can relate (especially to #1… Mom is tired.)

“I remember this one night… very much a “normal” evening in our house, while I was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner and my husband was at our swingset playing “tickle dragon” with our two kids. This is, of course, a made-up game (like “tickle monster”) where the kids try to slide down the sliding board in the yard before the “dragon” can get them & tickle them.

Big, boisterous laughs ensued, breathless giggles, and the echoes of “More Daddy, More Daddy, More!” could be heard through the backyard.

And I simultaneously smiled AND sighed.

I am unbelievably grateful for this wonderful man I found so many years ago who became an amazing husband and an even more amazing Dad. I am thankful he is happy and eager to play with the kids when he gets home from work each day without me asking him. He truly loves our children.

But it also made me a little sad that he is most likely the “fun parent.” I remember when I was reading in bed with our 3-year-old (at the time), and I just started blowing raspberries on her belly on a whim. She thinks this is hysterical and cannot get enough. In the midst of laughing uncontrollably, she looked at me and said, “Mommy, mommy! You’re like Daddy!”

And I knew what she meant – I was being wreckless, crazy, throwing caution to the wind…at least what caution is to a 3-year-old.

Well, kids, here you have it… the Ten Reasons Daddy is More Fun Than Mommy (in our house, anyway)

While this may not be the case everywhere, this is what it looks like in our house. I stay at home with the kids while my husband works… and in the end, he ends up being “the fun one.”

WHY is daddy more fun than mommy?

10. MOMMY IS TIRED
Let’s face it… even studies prove that mothers are exhausted for a good reason. Mommy is the one who puts you both to bed every night and has always been the one to get up with you every.single.time in the middle of the night. That makes for a very tired mom.

Factor in I don’t usually go to bed until midnight and get up at 6 am, which doesn’t give this mom a lot of sleep. I remember the days (well) of wishing someone would sleep through the night (only to wake in a panic when they do.) Sleep deprivation occurs as a result of the lack of sleep & mom fatigue kicks in around 3:00 pm.
*There is a reason we all see the Tired Mom Meme & feel like we can relate!

9. MOMMY IS A WARRIOR
One of us has to worry about broken bones, headaches, scraped knees, and infectious diseases. In our house, that’s all me. (It can leave anyone feeling overwhelmed worrying about their physical and mental health.) I set up doctor’s appointments, arrange medical procedures, do clinical diagnostics to figure out which of a million viruses you may have contracted this week.
*Sorry if I forgot to skip down the sidewalk during our evening walk.

8. MOMMY GETS ZERO ALONE TIME
Daddy gets a break during the day. Even if only during the drive home, he listens to what he wants… or to nothing at all. He never feels guilty about it (not that he should be) because he’s working so we can stay home, but let’s be clear about it – you get bathroom breaks during the day, and no one is watching you, putting their fingers under the door to find you, or opening the door to show you something.
*I haven’t gone to the bathroom in years without at least one set of our children’s eyes on me.

7. MOMMY HAS NO MAKE-BELIEVE LEFT IN HER: As a child, I spent my entire day outside – riding bikes, pretending I was a rock star, and performing treasure hunts. We didn’t live near any children, so all my play was solo-play. Fast forward 25 years, and if my girls don’t want to swing or slide, I don’t know what to do. The period of time when I was imaginative has melted away. My brain power as a momma is tired.
*The real world takes all of my brain power – I just can’t seem to muster any up for make-believe.

6. MOMMY DOESN’T WANT SOCIAL SERVICES TO COME: “Tired mother” or not… the house is clean. I like to live in a clean house & I want my family to do the same.
Oh- and Mommy doesn’t want Social Services to come… This is what would happen if Daddy was in charge of cleaning the house.
Ps- who would find all of those “lost things” if it weren’t for mommy cleaning the house?

5. MOMMY’S OPTIMAL OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE IS 72 DEGREES: Below this, I am freezing (so I’m a no-go on snow days for sure… Daddy’s the fun one who plays in the snow with the kids), and it’s it is above 72 degrees… well I think I may be having a heat stroke.
*Daddy’s internal temperature seems to adjust MUCH easier. Snow Days— Building Igloos in the snow. Summer days— throwing kids in the swimming pool (over & over again). Yep. Daddy is the fun one who plays outside… and I’m ok with it!

4. MOMMY IS IN CHARGE OF BIRTHDAYS… AND CHRISTMAS… AND MOTHER’S DAY… AND FATHER’S DAY… AND EASTER… AND HALLOWEEN… AND VALENTINE’S DAY… AND TEACHER APPRECIATION GIFTS…
Let’s be clear: without Mommy, no child in our house would have opened a gift on your birthday* (ever.) I also make sure your grandmas get a gift on Mother’s Day, and you each have the perfect Halloween costume come October 31st each year.
*Daddy often asks me what we are giving you guys the morning of the holiday.

3. MOMMY IS APPARENTLY THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO TELL TIME IN OUR HOUSE.
Daddy seems to have no concept of time. He has no idea that your bedtime just happens to sneak up at the SAME time each night. And he clearly doesn’t know that if we want to get anywhere with young kids – it takes a little more planning than for yourself.

2. MOMMY LIKES TO EAT AND WANTS YOU TO EAT, AS WELL:
While Daddy was apparently this “big chef” back in his college days, he hasn’t cooked since then, as far as I can tell. *This is okay, but let’s be clear: the meal planning, grocery shopping, food prep, and actual cooking take away from all my loosey-goosey time.

And the #1 Reason Daddy is More Fun Than Mommy…

1. MOM’S TIRED!
This one is so important that it makes a list twice! Go back and look at #s 2-10, and you will see why Mommy is feeling exhausted every day! I’m not just talking about just feeling tired or sleepy by bedtime… I’m talking physically and emotionally overwhelmed (for years!) Emotional Exhaustion. Tired Mama. No matter how you word it- we are exhausted moms, but for a good reason.♥

NOW— I DON’T SAY THIS TO COMPLAIN.

When you love someone as much as I love the two of you (and your daddy), your brain is always on the go… always thinking (that’s not to say I don’t forget things!)

I’m always thinking about ways to show you that I love you and keep you safe—thinking about how I would do anything to make you happy and nourish your soul.

Thinking about ways to be the wonderful parent you deserve because I know how important this job God gave to me is. I’m in charge of you, my children- the most wonderful people I’ve ever met, and I’ll do my best with this job as your mother.

“I’m Okay with that. You need that— and I really can’t give it.”

So, probably for many, many years to come, Daddy is going to seem much more fun than me. And I’m okay with that. You need that, and I really can’t give it.

I hope that one day when you look back in your memory bank and remember all of those crazy, fun times that you had with Daddy… you know that those were largely due to the fact that Mommy was also doing her job— taking care of you (and everything else) because she loves you.