My Husband's New Tattoo

I imagine my husband isn't the only one with a new tattoo, especially since we've hit toddlerdom in full force at The Mom Trap household. Basically, it's a big stamp-like tattoo that reads

SUCKER

Yeah. It's in red. BRIGHT RED.

It's become particularly obvious during our new night time routine. This involves us getting way less sleep than should be legally allowed.

Apparently, Q is experiencing some level of separation anxiety. It's complicated by the broken collar bone. But even so, I had the perfect system going.

When she woke up screaming, I'd tell her that I was right there (literally, our rooms are connected and the door is wide open) and that she's fine. She'd mumble for a minute or two and then would fall back to sleep, for the rest of the night.

However, when the collar bone incident occurred, that wasn't cutting it. And so someone had to go in there and tell her in person. Sticking to my "no pick them up no matter what you do" policy, I would end up sleeping in her room. She still in her own bed, me sleeping rather comfortably (sans wiry restless husband) on the guest bed.

But apparently, my husband's tattoo sent signals to my daughter that encourage the following:

1) Blood curdling, gut powered screams that will stop instantly if you threaten "no pool tomorrow"

2) Requests for rocking and singing, in a sweet voice lovely voice

3) Cries for Dada (and not mama - only dada). Always the deal sealer in our house where Dada is very low on the totem pole of popularity.

And so, instead of sticking with the rules, he goes in there, picks her up and you guessed it, puts her in bed with us OR him - AND WORSE - lets her sleep...

ON TOP OF HIM.

For the love of God, have you no shame man?

So then I must intervene, attempt to provide parenting instruction at 2am in my underpants and upside down glasses, and return her to her crib. And until I can put the kibosh on all this, it looks like I'm sporting a new tattoo as well.

BAD GUY

Comments

[Mom101]

Hm. Sounds familiar.

[Stacy]

It's not fair. The mom always has to be the bad guy. I guess it's because we care more about the long-term repercussions of our discipline or lack thereof. Men’s brains just don’t think that far ahead or that unselfishly.

[Sunshine Scribe]

Sign my husband up for one of those too. Daddy's are born suckers it seems.

[tracey]

That sucks. Ain't no fun being the bad guy.

[mothergoosemouse]

Oh yes. We have those matching tattoos too. Kyle freely admits that he is wrapped around both girls' little fingers.

What really frosts me is when I tell Tacy "no", and then she goes to Kyle and WHISPERS her request, casting furtive glances at me.