Written by Tena as a part of the We’re Moms Too series.
We introduced the “We’re Moms Too” series several years ago to put the face with the people behind the Step2 brand, and invited you into a sliver of our lives as family members, not just employees of a company. This series has been a fun way for us to share our lives and a surprising benefit, is that we’ve had the opportunity to learn more about our co-workers through these posts. We recently asked a fairly new member of our team if he would like to contribute a post featuring, “We’re Dads Too.” He immediately chuckled and we learned that he thought we invited him into a group of “Weird Dads.”
That thought, “Weird Dad,” grabbed my attention. My husband often times gets all of the credit for being the silly and playful parent while I get to wear that hat of disciplinarian and decision maker in the eyes of our friends and family. Each and every day I try to do something fun, funny, or, dare I say, even weird with my son to ensure that he is exposed to all of the pieces and parts of the personality that makes me, me; his Mom. At times, I can be stoic, sometimes hard-working, sometimes lazy, always loving, and sometimes, just weird too. I hope he remembers all of those pieces and parts as he grows up.
At the risk of revealing too much to my Step2 family, I give you my list of top 10 weird things I like to do with my son:
10. Speak in a made up language
9. “Shoot him” with imaginary air kisses with my finger or elbow
8. Living room dance parties
7. Shaving cream art in the middle of the floor
6. Bring the snow indoors and build a snowman before it melts
5. Eat cookies for breakfast in the morning (not so weird, but so not conventional)
4. See who can scream the loudest in the car
3. Play, “Step on a crack break your Momma’s back” and then pretend to have a broken back
2. Ask every green toy in the playroom, “Are you my Daddy,” while being the character Disgust from the movie, Inside Out; “Hulk, are you my Daddy?” “T-Rex, are you my Daddy?” “Green Lantern, are you my Daddy?”
1. Make silly faces while staring at each other and play the mirror game
What “weird” things do you do with your kids that you hope they remember as they grow?
About Tena
Tena and her best friend (and hubby) had their first child in July, 2011. Their little guy has a congenital heart defect and he is one tough little cookie; don’t ever think about calling him sick though – “his plumbing is just different.” Tena is an animal loving vegetarian and is excited to teach her son about compassion and the importance of volunteer work. She is the VP of Ecommerce and Internet Marketing for Step2.
