Welcome back…It’s Sunday again, and time to lay it all on the line in The Confessional. The Confessional is a place where we come and admit to our shortcomings, confess our guilt, drop the pretenses, and yell out to the world, “I’m NOT perfect!” (And it’s okay!) We find absolution, relief, acceptance….the ever elusive validation. We recognize ourselves in other parents, and find that we’re all in this together….no one has everything all figured out, and you are not alone in your parenting struggles. Typically, The Confessional has a humorous tone…We admit to things like rigging games of Candy Land to end faster, hiding annoying toys from our children, and shoving messes into closets seconds before our spouse comes home. However, today’s confessional is a bit of a departure…..We have our second ever Dad stepping into The Confessional today. Meet John Taylor (Aka – DaddyYo). He is the author of the popular blog, http://www.thedaddyyoblog.com I hope some of you will go check out his site and leave him some love! I found John on Twitter, @TheDaddyYoDude, and knew I wanted him to guest blog for me. Today, instead of a numbered list of parenting sins, John’s piece goes a bit deeper, and will give you something to consider…It’s certainly a piece we can all probably relate to….somewhere we’ve been a hundred times before…I am honored and proud to have him with us today.

Here we go.

Father forgive me…

Sometimes I just want it to be Bedtime All Day Long

What a great opportunity it is to be here today on Chasing Supermom and in the chair at the confessional.
How awesome that I get to spend today in someone else’s “home” and admit stuff I normally wouldn’t
because I have too much pride. That’s a pretty hard invitation to refuse. So just what do I have to confess
to you all today? Well there are some days both kids are screaming their lungs out, the house is a wreck,
the dishes aren’t washed, and I’m pretty sure someone has hidden poop up under the couch. These days,
long and never peaceful, sometimes I just want it to be bedtime all day long.

I love my children with everything in me. Next to my wife, nobody is more important. I would stop at
nothing to insure their wellbeing and happiness, including laying down my life, if the situation called for
it. They are the reason I work crazy hours, sleep very little, and my inspiration for the blog. Let me not
mislead everyone though. Through all of the good, all of the fun, and all of the laughs, there are just as
many screams, tantrums, sibling rivalry, and shot nerves. Sometimes, I just want it to be bedtime so the
only sound I hear is the static on the baby monitor.

Sometimes I find myself thinking “of all the living rooms in all of the world. They had to be screaming
in mine.” Everyone tells you about the terrible two’s and the fantastic four’s and all the other age/number
analogies, but you never quite get it until you are in the middle of it all. It’s a war zone of thrown toys,
crushed up snacks, spilt milk, and an unlimited arsenal of NO’s. My fortress is getting weaker by the
second from the barrage of verbal ammunition and finally I have had enough.

On many occasions I have separated both of the children, given them both a stern warning and a slap on
the hand, and made the announcement that “daddy law” was now in effect. During daddy law anything
that you say or do will probably be done so with the intent on pushing my buttons and you would be
correct. My buttons will be pushed and further discipline including loss of TV, computer, toy, and story
time will be implemented. Further mismanagement of attitude may warrant early bedtime or the time out
chair.

Do you ever feel like a drill sergeant or the UNmotivational speaker? I know I do. When these days are
over and it really is bedtime I find myself feeling less than an inch tall when I think about their pouting
faces. How could I turn the faces of such beautiful children into such big frowns? At least, when the
days are through, I have told them I love them, and they have told me. We have given kisses and hugs
and noseys, the balance is back where it should be, and all is well… for the night. Tomorrow, well…
tomorrow may be a different story.

To check out all previous volumes of The Confessional, click here: Confessional Archives If YOU would like to confess, please send me an email. I would LOVE to have you!