"Useless" Dads

ratchet · 07-11-2009, 11:01 PM

I have run across some pretty appalling behavior in the past few days, since becoming a father.

One of the nurses at the hospital was blatantly rude to me - see, I had just come back to the hospital after having to leave to do a show. My wife was with the lactation specialist - she was having a hard time with breast feeding - and as the nurse is talking to her I walk in the room and she says "Oh good, Dad is here - we have a job for you"

I say "Great! Just tell me what to do"

And the nurse continues with "Mom can't do everything, you know!"

What the hell? I just said I couldn't wait to help out - what was the next comment about - and this lady just met me! Well, my job was to wash out all the components of the breast pump - to which I gladly took and began doing - but again she adds - "Mom did enough, Dad, you have to pitch in too."

I looked at the nurse and said "This has been a team effort from beginning to end."

She smiled at me and said "I'm sure you did a good job supporting her"

I looked at her again and said "This was a team effort from beginning to end."

To which she turned her attention to my wife again.

Then, later today my sister in law meets my new daughter for the first time - and when discussing about when they were going to start having kids, she mentions that kids are a lot of work. I say to her - "It is a lot of work - but you get used to it pretty fast - and it's worth it"

She comments back with "Especially when you don't have to do most of it."

I asked her what she meant by that and she said "Just that Olivia is doing most of the work."

I wanted to sock her in the nose. I said to her - "This is a team effort from beginning to end."

She shoots back with "I'm sure you get up at two in the morning when it's time for her to eat"

I said "Yeah - I do. I have to give her the supplement - that means getting up warming up the water - warming the supplement in the water - putting together the breast pump - feeding the supplement to my daughter - and when my wife finishes pumping I take apart the pump and clean the parts to it. So, yeah, I get up with her. That's what I mean by team effort."

Man, people just try to make the men out to be useless when it comes to raising their children. It's sickening - I'm already sick of it and I haven't even been a father for a week!

Alex655321 · 07-11-2009, 11:04 PM

At least you know you are doing the right thing

mwf6171 · 07-11-2009, 11:08 PM

A nice complaint to the department head works well too. There is no reason for the nurse to bust your chops like that.

armitage · 07-11-2009, 11:10 PM

You should have just punched the nurse.

HalJordanFan · 07-11-2009, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armitage

You should have just punched the nurse.

That was my initial reaction as well...

hawkeyethearcher · 07-12-2009, 12:07 AM

woman are still defined by there children and want all the credit they can get so i can see why they always talk about how hard it is for them. also while it is common now fr dads to pitch in fifty fifty it is new so you will get people that just dont get it. its one of those thinhg that in 30 years will be common place but for now we jsut cant get a break cause of how it used to be.

Zombie · 07-12-2009, 12:19 AM

how are the fathers portrayed in movies and tv? people really do think that way about men/fathers.

that they are useless and that women do everything. its sad really, specially considering that Zombie comes from a home where the father really was that, a father. not just some bumbleing idiot that TV shows portray.

DeKind · 07-12-2009, 01:07 AM

Actually i'd say that woman on TV are actually portrayed as useless instead of men. The idea of an at home mom who takes care of the kids and maybe cleans and cooks while the man is off earning the income is very much alive both in media and in reality.

Zombie · 07-12-2009, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeKind

Actually i'd say that woman on TV are actually portrayed as useless instead of men. The idea of an at home mom who takes care of the kids and maybe cleans and cooks while the man is off earning the income is very much alive both in media and in reality.

name some shows? (Zombies not arguing with you, but would like to know(

Daredevil · 07-12-2009, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armitage

You should have just punched the nurse.

She would have deserved it and the judge would let you go scot free.