Fevers, emotions and a Father’s Day wish

We had a great evening tonight, getting together with my parents and my brother and his family.  We celebrated 2 birthdays and an early Father’s Day too.  My kids really enjoy playing with their cousins, and it’s so nice to see them together. 

My son ended up having a fever (101) tonight though, and he was clearly not himself.  When we got home, he was very snuggly and he didn’t want me to put him down.  He kept telling me that he “didn’t feel very good.”  It’s very sad when your toddler is sick, you just want to help them feel better.  So, I put him to bed after giving him some Tylenol and reading him his favorite Curious George story (Curious George goes Camping).  I put a cold, damp washcloth on his head as I read to him, then I sang him some lullabies and hummed him to sleep.  I hope he feels better tomorrow.

Our daughter is doing well with her new hearing aid, although she goes through stages where she constantly wants to pull it out of her ear.  It can be quite challenging to get it back in, as she does NOT hold still well at all.  Right now though, she is getting a couple of new teeth, so she has been grouchy and feverish herself.  No fun. 

Being a parent is an amazing experience of emotions.  It’s very draining.  I now know why so many of our friends who had children before us always looked tired.  It’s not just the physical actions of dealing with your kids: playing with them, carrying them, dressing them, changing their clothes, diapers and shoes, bathing them, drying their hair, tucking them in, reading to them, etc.  It’s also the mental exertion of worrying about them, wanting them to feel well, hoping they are learning and developing well, trying to provide a stable environment for them… all very mentally tiring. 

What these strong emotions do is end up bringing you closer to your kids, which is probably the design.  We are supposed to feel a strong bond with them.  Obviously, some parents feel this bond more than others, but both my wife and I have it in spades. 

I hope you are going to have a fantastic Father’s Day this weekend, and be sure to give out some extra love.  I am taking Sunday off to spend the whole day with the family, and just enjoy being together.  That’s MY idea of a great Father’s Day.