Men Do Their Negotiating At The Playground
I have been having this really strange recurrence whenever I take the boys to a playground lately. I had not payed much attention to it until it was like deja vu or something. I typically visit a playground with the boys a few times a week, just to get out of the house and let them expend some energy.
The first time we went to the playground there was a dad and his daughter and I thought it was cute. But then his cell phone rang and he walked away from her and was talking about some contractual agreement. Usually I am not nosy, but the guy was right in my face. The conversation went something like “yeah Id really like to get this finalized and I am sure we can make this work for you.” Then he discussed Dave and his bid on the job and that they were just jacking him around. He then lost connection and hastily was giving his 4-5 year old daughter a little attention. “Daddy look at me!” and he says “let me see you run way over there, and eager to please she was his puppet unaware to the fact that her Dad needed to complete a deal on the phone.
I just made the quick observation and then I was off chasing after the boys. Later that week, I returned to the playground and overheard almost the same exact type conversation but with someone else. I still had not payed too much attention although now that I have noticed, I must have. I guess the mom in me has acquired the skill of taking in everything going on around me. Since becoming a mom to twins, I have honed in on my ability to do about 50 things at once, and my brain never shuts up either, until I am in a coma getting my six hours of sleep.
So tonight, we were out to dinner at Bob Evans, and we had saved a dinner roll to feed the geese when we left. I was halping one of my boys toss bread when some guy comes walking quickly by discussing finalizing contract plans and someone named bob. He ran in the restaurant and came out still glued to his phone. Is someone trying to tell me something? I just thought it was weird!
I had a parent that would walk in on the cell phone to drop his child off at daycare, stay on the phone while signing his child in, walk to the door…still on the phone, tell the person to hold on a second, bend over to kiss his child goodbye, tell the child to be good, and go right back to his conversation. In the over one year I was there I think I saw a deviation from this routine one time. This child was struggling with behavior issues an the parents wondered why.
I think guys are still in the 1950’s mood when work was totally what defined them as men. I think most women have progressed and learned to balance family and work, but I think most guys primary focus is still on getting things done work wise. I think this is true of many house husbands too, it’s a focus on getting the things done that are suppose to be done, rather than enjoying their family in the moment they are now in.
Cute blog, I saw your button on someones website. I just launched a website for moms and I was wanting to know if you wanted to do a button swap. You should come by and check it out sometime.
http://thismamablogrocks.blogspot.com/
This drives me nuts. I see parents (moms and dads) constantly texting on their cell phones. Usually somewhere that you have to pay to get into and I would consider a treat. Like at the children museum. I thought the point of doing stuff with your kids was to like do stuff WITH your kids.
I think its hard to turn off technology for some parents. I dont even have text on my PHONE, so you dont get this from me. When i am w/ charlotte, i unplug.
trisha
momdot.com
men can be ridiculous, really they can, I love your blog, it’s a great magazine style
I see this all the time as well. I’m bad about texting while with my kids, but I have them all the time! LOL
that is the funniest and strangest thing! I don’t think i’ve ever noticed before but you can bet i’m gonna keep an ear out from now on!
I need to unplug better, i’m so addicted to checking my e-mail
My husband is always on his phone texting or email so I understand.
Kasandria
That sucks! That poor little girl. 🙁
I think some people try to squeeze in quality time and don’t realize it isn’t actually QUALITY.
As a nanny, the guy I worked for used to do it this all the time and then would ask me why the kids would never listen to him! It would drive me crazy because they wanted his attention so bad.
Love your observation – I didn’t realize how many people do that.
I had to yell at my husband about doing this. Stop working and play with the kids. Its only an hour of your time.
Lucy
poor lil kiddo : (
Mothers I think are better at balancing more than a few things on our plates. My husband would never do that in a MILLION years – but everyone’s got there thing.
I think women are always better at balancing things.
That just kills me about the guy on the playground.
Yeah, for some parents it is hard to unplug. I don’t even have a cell phone anymore, so I don’t do this 🙂
I’m bad about this too but I learned to just keep my phones and everything else at home.
you only get six hours too eh? It’s so not enough! Funny,, how this was the thing about your post that I grabbed onto lol!
I would have been freaked out with the 3rd guy.