Patch Blog: A Page out of My 7-Year-Old's Diary

A page out of my 7 year old's diary cuts to the core.

In a few short years, she has digested the entire parental structure of who does what in this house. Here in two short sentences that she allowed us to see, Alicia's feelings about mom and dad:

"My mom is pretty, nice, understandable, and spectacular"

"My dad is really funny. He tells a lot of jokes." 

OK, let's discuss.

She had such glowing words for the wife... talking about her beauty, her demeanor, and all around good nature. Yes, she's "understandable" too. I don't know exactly what that means. I'm happy the kids can understand my wife because it makes it a whole lot easier when we're trying to communicate with them. No longer can they say they didn't understand when we tell them to clean their room or pick up their toys.

As for myself: well, the words are sort of complementary. Alicia likes me, it seems. I'm the class clown. I tell a lot of jokes, and I'm funny. I'm a comedian parent. Rim shot. Zoom. But what about my beauty, my demeanor, and my all around good nature? She must have forgotten.

Or maybe she just ran out of room on the paper. Or maybe I need to admit that our kids see different things in each of us, and use us for what they need as the grow up.

Maybe this is proof that mom will end up being the close confidant to the girls through their lives, and I'll just be the cool dad. I'll take cool dad ... I guess. Oh by the way: Alicia goes on to say she likes the Dodgers because they're mom's team. She acknowledges that dad likes the Red Sox but doesn't say anything about liking them. I guess I lost that battle as well. But hey, she likes my jokes and those are definitely hit and miss.

Alicia ends her diary entry by saying "My sister is wonderful." How awesome is that? I wonder what the diary entries will say through the next few years. Only time, and prying dad eyes, will tell.