I'm a dad (pretty obvious right) and I've been a dad for over 15 years and in all that time there has been one thing that has bugged the hell... heck... s**t out of me (sorry expletive justified though), dads who say that they are "babysitting" their own kids (in the 15 years I've been one, not once have I baby sat!).
You do NOT Babysit Your Own Kids
Firstly no you are not! You cannot babysit your own kids, what you are doing is being a responsible adult or parent and looking after the produce of your (probably) misguided fumblings (anyone who claims this clearly has no wish to be a dad so it must have been a mistake, am I right?).
Secondly, why would it be babysitting if you do it and not if your wife, partner, random person who you got jiggy with does it? It isn't, get over it and grow up, or perhaps grow a pair, man up, whatever term works best for you, use it and do it.
Have you ever heard a woman say she is babysitting her own kids? Nope! Didn't think so.
Enough Jokes
There are enough people in this world who want to make out all dads are useless when it comes to looking after the kids, and put us down.
From advertisers shovelling rubbish adverts where the dads can't even change a nappy (diaper if you are my American brethren) or feed the kids when left to "babysit", to the media making joke programs about dads leaving kids to fester in their own filth while mum is out (ideas that they wouldn't dare direct at mums) or mum bloggers who think it is a good idea to poke fun at their children's dads who may or may not really be incompetent (if they are perhaps it is you who is at fault for never trusting them?).
I know there are some shit dads out there (and some who just vanish from their child's lives sadly) but they are not the ones we should focus on, and equally there are some mums that are the same.
Not all dads are useless, in fact I'd wager that there are as many good dads as there are good mums, and I know there are some dads out there who totally outshine the mothers in their kids' lives.
Just to embarrass my kids this is them when they were all little (hey I'm a good dad but it's always fun making them cringe)
Final Plea
I guess all I'm really asking is that if you are a dad who claims to babysit your own kids please stop and stop giving us good dads a bad name.
I'm sure I'm not alone in hating dads who claim to "babysit" their own kids, let me know I'm not wrong, just leave me a comment.
This post was originally published on the parenting blog When the Dust Settles - When the Dust Settles - You Can't Babysit Your Own Kids.