He came in from a long day of work and took his boots off by the front door. I was standing in the living room trying to fold the clothes with one arm while holding a baby with the other. Our oldest two had abandoned the Disney Junior show that they were watching, and had decided to run circles around the couches shrieking as they tried to catch each other.
I was in that hazy space between fully functioning adult and zombie mommy – staring blankly at the mountain of clothes and wondering what year it was when I slept last.
He walked over, placed his hand on my back and whispered five beautiful words, “Let me hold the baby.”
And he was never more attractive than in that moment.
It’s true that marriage often changes once we have children, but I have noticed that my husband whispering a few words like he did that night can make or break our evening (or week.)
So, men, here is a list of proven effective phrases that are guaranteed to change your evening and or rest of your life. (You’re welcome.)
1.) “Can I hold the baby for a while?”
2.) “No. I’m going to give them baths and put them to bed tonight. You should go rest now.”
3.) “Honey, I called in a pizza for the kids, and I’m stopping for some wine for us. Should I bring chocolate or ice cream?” (Actually, just get the pizza and surprise her with the rest.)
4.) “I’m taking the kids out for a few hours so you can have the house to yourself.”
5.) “I think I hear the baby. Don’t get up. You need your rest.”
6.) “Kids, mommy needs some alone time. Let’s go play in the other room while she takes a bath.”
7.) “I’m not sure if you have plans, but I was thinking we could go out tonight just the two of us. I arranged a sitter.”
8.) “Sweetheart, why don’t you go take a nap, I’ve got this.”
9.) “I unloaded the dishwasher and rinsed the dinner dishes while you were changing the baby’s diaper. I hope you don’t mind.”
10.) “Hey honey. I was thinking that after the kids were in bed… you and I could… you know…watch “Fixer Upper” on HGTV while you browse Facebook.”
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. Ladies, what would you add? And fellows, which are you going to try out first?
(PS – this is just for fun. I recognize that the roles are shared in many homes and that daddies often do just as much as mommies. Thanks for not taking this too seriously!)
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