Dad's Sneaky Nap Trick Is a Total Creative Parenting Win
The struggle to keep kids preoccupied while you take care of any array of tasks can be rough. But every now and then, parents come up with fairly brilliant workarounds. Earlier this month, a Japanese dad devised a cardboard version of his wife to keep their toddler happy. Now, a dad in Colorado is going viral for his praiseworthy move. His wife, Monica Weber, shared on Facebook late last month that her husband, Michael, had offered to keep the kids so she could grocery shop in peace.
Alongside a photo of Michael lying on the couch in front of their four kids, Weber shared, "I come home to this. I'm pretty sure he's the most brilliant man I've ever known. He has them doing 'realism art' while he 'poses'—aka naps."
Weber shared that the winner of the contest was promised chocolate, but she noted that her husband "is the one winning." She concluded by giving him props: "Nice one, Michael, nice one!"
The mom of four tells Parents.com, "My husband and I recently relocated away from much of our support system, so we've gotten creative in ways to balance work, kids, and all the household responsibilities that come with a family of six." Her husband had just gotten off a 12-hour shift as an OR nurse, and the kids were being "extra ornery, so he recognized what a challenge it would be to take them grocery shopping with me."
When she saw the alternative he came up with, Weber "thought it was such an ingenious and hilarious way for him to rest his eyes, they get in some quiet creative art time, and I got a moment to breathe and grocery shop in peace."
The photo quickly went viral, boasting 35K shares and more than 10K comments, most parents praising the idea and tagging one another. One commenter wrote, "Father of the Year Award for this man in the picture." A fellow dad said, "Smart man. I’m taking notes."
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Weber's tip for other parents: "Don't lose your sense of humor or creativity. Life with kids can be hard, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed. With a burnt out mom, four kids with cabin fever, and a tired dad, it could have been a frustrating situation. Instead, he turned it into a beautiful memory. He says he owes it to us being best friends."
No doubt plenty of parents will want to give this dad's trick a try at some point. Encouraging kids' creative expression while sneaking in a few extra Zs? Win-win.
