The Daddy Games: a Paternity Leave Poem

Today my husband returns to work after two weeks paternity leave he's had with myself, tot and our newborn baby. It's been lovely having this time to adjust to new family life and just be together!

However, I felt particularly inspired to jot down this 'quick' post last night after witnessing an 'activity' created by my husband that morning. This was the scene:

What is that? You may ask. That, folks, began as a tunnel for tot. A few minutes later, once tot had tired of running back and forth behind the curtain (sorry- tunnel) a blanket was slung over, and 6 tennis balls emerged from God knows where. Is that a standard 'man thing-' to just have a stash of balls somewhere?? (Hahaha- I've actually just made myself chuckle - what a choice of wording there, oops. Ha. I'm keeping it in.)

"What are you doing?" I asked my husband.

He replied, "Oh it's an indoor cricket net." Obviously. Good. Just what every family household needs. 

It dawned on me that over the past two weeks, my husband has introduced alot of 'imaginative' games and ideas to the house, which has had the main influence upon our one year old tot.... so I decided to whip up my thoughts into a poem. I don't doubt that 'The Daddy Games' end just because Pat leave has ended, no. It's just that the past two weeks deserve some recognition, for what 'Daddy's' been up to....

The Daddy Games: a Paternity Leave Poem

It has filled me with pride,

To have my husband by my side,

For two whole weeks,

On his paternity leave. 

We've had so much fun,

The madness has only just begun-

But in part I have him to blame,

For what I'd like to call: 'The Daddy Games!'

With a newborn and a tot,

We've all been learning quite a lot,

But our toddler has learnt the most,

Because Daddy is the 'Gameshow Host...'

Wrestling moves? Our tot now knows-

How to fling backwards off her toes,

And she can daringly dive at speed,

With a run up that 'You need!'

Then there's the expeditions to the top of Toy Box,

And many a great mission, balancing on tower blocks!

My husband has taught her how to over-head roll,

With his help to do it- and me shrieking, "Noooo!"

And tot will zoom fast, through the tunnel of his legs-

(Tot then did this to Great Nan- under her dress?!!)

Then there's the air-borne sports that he's lovingly taught,

Where my husband launches tot into the air....of course.

Oh how they laugh! How hysterical it must be-

To give a mother palpitations (and lose a bit of pee?)

Finally tot has had lessons from 'Daddy child care,' 

Which has actually involved- thankfully- stroking baby's hair.

But then there was the day that I walked in to find,

Poking from the moses basket- our one year old's behind!!

Of course baby wasn't in there, I'm not married to a twit-

My husband just has a more courageous sense of wit.

And next week will come when tot will test out these skills,

And I'll be wondering why I let him teach tot such thrills!?!

But truly he'll be missed: I can't tumble tot around;

I do books and songs and swings at the baby playing ground.

But that's ok too, doesn't variety help them grow?

Actually that sounds cringey- I know, I know. 

I'm not stopping there though- this is a poem after all,

So let's crank up the Cringe, for once and for all:

What I'm trying to say is... The Daddy Games are pretty wild,

But there's so much warmth in watching...husband laugh with our child!