Fatherhood & Marriage: Parenting vs Babysitting

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Fatherhood Parenting vs Babysitting NashvilleMomsBlog

“I don’t like babysitting,” my dear husband said about a month into our new lives as parents. There was a schedule change, and he had to spend a few unexpected hours watching our infant solo. It was inconvenient and a pain in the butt, and I would have been aggravated if it had been me.

But it was the word he used—it was all wrong. And one month postpartum, I did not have the calm, well-reasoned reaction that I would have liked. The rage came quickly, followed by tears.

After talking it through (and consulting with many outsiders who all agreed with me), he realized that it was the wrong word. Or so I thought.

Last night, he used it again—quickly taking it back. “I know you hate it when I say that,” he said.

I can’t blame the hormones this time, but the rage was still there—for his use of the word ON TOP OF the fact that he knew it made me crazy.

Here’s why:

1. “I do not think it means what you think it means.”

This is what I call The Princess Bride argument. The rest of this list rests on this argument’s shoulders. The problem originates with semantics. Here’s Merriam-Webster‘s definition of the word:

Babysit (verb)

ba·by·sit  \ˈbā-bē-ˌsit\

to take care of a child while the child’s parents are away

I don’t call it babysitting when I’m watching my own child. Period.

2. The Remove

I think this is what brought the hormone tears on the first time around. When you use a term like babysitting, you’re removing yourself from your relationship with your kid. Not consciously, of course, but it’s there in the word. Babysitting is a job people do to make some extra cash. It is usually done by teenagers. There is often pizza and texting involved (ok, so parenting sometimes involves those things too). Babysitting is much more closely related to petsitting or housesitting than parenting. If you say you’re housesitting your own house, people will ask you when you’re due to check in at the mental hospital.

Babystrangling? Sure. Babysitting, no.
Babystrangling? Sure. Babysitting? No.

3. The Battle of the Sexes

I have to say here that my husband and I have a very equal parenting balance, but I thought it was important for him to understand the broader social context. I’ve often heard women say that their husbands are “babysitting” the kids while they “snuck” out for some fun times. I don’t think I’ve EVER heard a man say that about his wife when he’s out doing golf or making beer or dude-ing it up in some way with his guy pals.

The use of the (wrong) word shows a lack of responsibility and a lack of expectation. It’s a part of the larger issue—the fact that women are expected to be the care-givers and men are expected to make bank. In a culture that is increasingly full of stay-at-home dads and equal partnerships, this concept is outdated at the very least. The incorrect use of the word “babysitting” is a hold-over from a different era. We’ve got a lot of these little minefields that are wrapped up in our daily language (and actions), and I think we need to start killing them softly so we can get on with our lives.

Ok, stepping off of my soapbox to go shopping for some actual soap. Later tonight, you can find me petsitting my dog Steinway, housesitting my house, and babysitting my kid.

*No babies were actually sat upon during the writing of this post*
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Amanda
Amanda moved to Nashville three years ago from Los Angeles with her hubs (Jason) to start the baby-making process closer to his Southern-large family in Florida. Their zoo is now complete (?) with a dog, two cats, and a toddler (Mixon). She works at home in East Nashville where she writes and produces web shows (for money) and young adult fiction (for love and possible future money). She loves this small big town—especially when the fireflies and cardinals come out. Amanda gets stupidly excited about books, cool breezes on hot days, and anything that makes her son laugh with his whole body.

4 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve used the term, multiple times, mostly, if not exclusively, when frustrated with parenting. That’s when the knee “jerk” comes out and fuels a brief “I could be doing other shit” line of thought. Not that women don’t have that line of thought in regards to parenting at times. I’m sure they do. But we are not the same. My wife and I have a very balanced relationship, from parenting to earnings to decision making, we flow. She doesn’t like it at all when I use that word and I think her position is well reasoned, so I’ve curbed it. I do think it comes from an instinctual, evolutionary place though. We have progressed past base instinct but it still resides within us, and that includes the drive to procreate and what our evolutionary roles are in that drive. I love what modern fatherhood is, participate in it fully and extensively, while recognizing and believing that such an arrangement most likely requires me to suppress and move past some of my base instincts more that it does my wife. I have a strong parenting instinct, but I don’t believe it has quite the same millennia behind it that my wife’s does. So sometimes an echo of a caveman wakes up and pouts, and says “babysitting”….though less frequently. Evolution before your eyes.
    Enjoyed the post and your transition to parenthood. Miss you surfing.

  2. […] I highly doubt he apologizes to you for leaving them with you, so why should you apologize to him? He is not your babysitter, he’s the father of your children, and he most likely loves the special time with them. […]

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