I have mentioned my mom in a few different posts, and my parents as a collective unit a few times as well. I feel it's time to bring my dad as an individual into the mix, specifically tied into our 8:40 segment "Overbearing Dads". We had a funny tape spot leading into a live interview with Dr. Keith Ablow looking at dads that become too involved in their kids' lives.
This past weekend on the phone with my dad I was explaining my busy schedule for this week, and he said to me, "Liz, remember you have to set your limits." There was a long pause - I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and give an exasperated sigh - and instead I started laughing. My mom picked up the other line and wanted to know the joke so I explained that my dad had been reminding me about my bedtime.
All kidding aside, my dad is great. I do think, however, that we put a lot of emphasis on overprotective moms, and now that more and more women are working after having children, more dads are staying home. The old cliche used to be dads who stayed at the office too much and didn't know enough about their kids' lives and hobbies, but now we are seeing a trend of dads who take their kids' hobbies a bit too far, making them their own passions as well. Dr. Ablow made the point that if your child expresses interest in something, let him or her own that interest a little bit - you can be supportive without becoming personally involved in every aspect of that particular hobby or interest.
Aside from one heated moment of yelling at a referee in a soccer game when I was in fourth grade, my dad has been a great source of support and encouragement, and the impulse to roll my eyes has been kept to a minimum. I am interested to hear your dad stories as well - send in your comments!