Demands

I read an article in Babble.com written by a stay-home dad the other day. I felt really sorry for him cos he has a son with a serious oedipus complex (P insists our son was not far off.)

But what really struck me was this paragraph he wrote (I felt an immediate connection to his wife. To think there is someone out there who feels exactly like me! My situation is not unique, even though it appears to be in my circle of friends!) -

“Whatever the case, his near-constant need for my wife takes a toll on all of us. When she comes home, he swoops upon her with questions and demands for playing. She has scarce time to relax, or sip a glass of wine, and there are days when I don't get much more than a nod of hello. At night, after putting him to bed -- an activity that requires persistence, as he'll bolt from the covers and run to the top of the steps crying "I forgot to tell you 'I love you'" -- she collapses on the couch, craving space to be her own person, free from the demands of work and parenting for an hour or two before slipping into sleep. The last thing she wants, on most nights, is for me to start pawing at her, or engaging her in heated conversation about my worry du-jour.”