Your Wife Would Be Proud

Art Eddy
September 24, 2012

Art Eddy

Lives in: Stanhope, NJ
From: Hampton, NH
Birthday: May 6, 1979
Occupation: Stay at Home Dad, Podcast, Writer
Web: http://www.mastersofnone.com
Twitter: @DadatworkNJ

View profile »

As you know from my blog and podcasts here at Life of Dad, I stay at home with my kids. There are more and more dads staying at home with their children while the moms go to work and bring home the bacon. Yet I still have people look at me while out with the kids like I am giving my wife a break and taking my daughters with me to run errands.

For people who know me they can tell you that I have a weekly routine. For example every Friday is grocery shopping day. No ifs, ands, or buts, I am taking the kids to the store and picking up the groceries. I go in with a list and if it is not on the list I don’t pick it up. Shopping usually takes me about 45 minutes. I want to get in and get out as quickly as possible. I think deep down I am training for the Supermarket Sweep with Kids edition. If they every make that game show I will house the competition.

Recently I was at the Deli counter picking some cold cuts. I was waiting in line while my daughters were asking me to request a piece of cheese from the clerk. (My youngest always asks for one, but never eats it). While going over my list I noticed a women looking at me. I looked over. She smiled and said “Got the kids with you today huh?” I wanted to say that they are always with me, but I just said “Yep. They love going to the grocery store.”

My number was called and the clerk asked me what I wanted. I asked for a certain brand of turkey and he told me they were all out. If this item was for me I would have no problem making a quick selection, but this item was for my wife. I wanted to make sure it was a brand she would like. So I started to stare at the many varieties of turkey deli meats. The same woman smiled at me and said, “Having trouble huh? Go with the store’s select brand. It is good and it is on sale this week. Trust me your wife would be proud. She will let you go shopping again when she sees what a great choice you made.”

For some reason time froze for me at that moment. Many things were going through my mind. Was she joking? Was she serious? Did she think I had no clue how to grocery shop and I had added pressure since I had with the kids with me? Then she said, “Trust me I had to train my husband many times over until he got it right. It is great to see that you took the kids with you. My husband never did that.”

Okay I now know she thinks I am a dad struggling to go grocery shopping with my kids. Me being somewhat proud I replied, “Thanks for the help, but I always go grocery shopping with the kids every Friday and I make the list. I just want to go with a brand I know everyone will like to eat.” She looked at me like I had two heads and said, “Oh. That is great. Good for you.”

Was she messing with me again? Good for you? I couldn’t read her, but I did think that the situation was very funny. The two things that stuck with me the most was ‘Good for you’ and ‘Your wife will be proud’. I do appreciate the fact she was trying to help me, but I guess as a stay at home dad I sometimes take things too personal when I feel people think I have no clue what I am doing. What do you guys think?

[Back to Ramblings]