Working dads have it the hardest.

I’m not an “official” working mom since I write from home, so this contention comes from a stay-at-home mom who does freelance work very occasionally but consistently avows to my husband about how I’m overtasked and underappreciated.

It’s not me who has it the hardest, it’s him, and far too often, I fail to recognize and acknowledge that.

What made it so clear to me today?

A picture drawn by my five-year-old and her words about it.

She was on a social-emotional development zoom where the topic was sadness, and she was learning about “support systems” — who they can be comprised of and how they help you.

My daughter drew hers.

It didn’t include my husband.

Her explanation for why?

“Because he works a lot and I only see him at night for a little bit when we play” and also because her paper “doesn’t have room for him.”

Hearing her honest little mouth tell her Zoom teacher that, all I could think was, “I hope Daddy didn’t hear that from his home office.”

I also hope my husband knows how much his kids and I love him.

And I hope the kids know that their father works a lot because he’s financially supporting his family and that his tireless efforts — at a job that stresses him out — are what allow Mommy to stay home and spend time with them, in addition to ALL of the other things we have and can do thanks to him.

As if it’s not enough that dads are typecasted and pigeonholed as video game playing, longtime pooping, housework avoiding, part-time parents, now their kids are unintentionally roasting them to others too.

Listen, it’s hard being a mom, juggling who that is with you are outside of it, balancing all of your “roles” and “jobs,” but I dare say it’s harder being a dad, doing the same but not being deemed “selfless” and “impressive” or praised for it like us women are.

I love my husband, and I thank God every gosh darn day that he takes care of his kids and me in the self-sacrificing way he does.

I guess one way I could better take care of him would be to regularly ensure he knows that and to raise his kids in a way that they always leave/make space for Daddy because that superhero is the reason Mommy can share theirs.

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{and absolutley the same can said about working moms having it the hardest. im simply writing from the perspective i have at present which is one of a sahm.