Today is feathrs, farthers or Fathers Day depending upon the card. And I got lots of them. Approximately 8 by my count. No, I didn't discover that I had more children than I had thought but instead my known children are extremely productive; it the tune of 2.67 card per child. What is more they were all self-made.
We have a rule at home that Hallmark holidays should mean that no money should be spent that would go anywhere near Hallmark. That means everything is made. Not only did I get the cards but several paintings and a treasure hunt. The last one was imaginative but, ultimately fast, because Child No.2 who is 5 and organised the whole thing didn't have the patience to wait for me to decipher his clues and took me straight to the treasure. That is just as well because without some form of Da Vinci Code codex the mystery would have stood for a millennium.
Of course, as an economist I have to point out that this exercise saves neither expense nor stress; both of which are borne by the other parent in spades. It is much easier to pop out and buy something. Herding the children into doing something is much much harder. And when they get enthusiastic managing them down is virtually impossible. So there is no doubt whom I really have to thank for this extravaganza and I'll do that when she returns from convalescence.
We have a rule at home that Hallmark holidays should mean that no money should be spent that would go anywhere near Hallmark. That means everything is made. Not only did I get the cards but several paintings and a treasure hunt. The last one was imaginative but, ultimately fast, because Child No.2 who is 5 and organised the whole thing didn't have the patience to wait for me to decipher his clues and took me straight to the treasure. That is just as well because without some form of Da Vinci Code codex the mystery would have stood for a millennium.
Of course, as an economist I have to point out that this exercise saves neither expense nor stress; both of which are borne by the other parent in spades. It is much easier to pop out and buy something. Herding the children into doing something is much much harder. And when they get enthusiastic managing them down is virtually impossible. So there is no doubt whom I really have to thank for this extravaganza and I'll do that when she returns from convalescence.
