Stamp of Approval II

The following things are OK
(At least as far as I'm concerned)

It's OK to go out for dinner as a family once or twice a week. It's great to be home, but it's also good for your kids to learn how to act in a restaurant--and even better not to have to clean up after them.

It's OK to go out without your spouse and spend some time with friends or by yourself. Get dressed and get OUT. You will be a better parent and a better partner when you come back. If your kids are going to be up when you come home, try not to come back drunk.

It's OK, on occasion, to leave your sink filled with dishes because you're just too exhausted to deal. Free pass. It's gross, yes, but you'll get to them in the morning. Just do them in the morning, because if you don't, that's really gross and even I can't help you out of that one.

It's OK to work, whether you need the money or not. Unless you're a hooker, your kids should understand that either you have to work or maybe you just like working. Being a parent and working is a tough balance because there is always a part of you that feels either your job or your kid isn't getting your undivided attention. As long as you're not a total loser at either job and you're doing the best you can, (fist pump) your kids will grow up respecting you for it.

It's OK to stay at home with your kids. If you're able to afford it, more power to you. And even though there's no pay stub for the stay-at-home work, it's a bitch of a job. I doubt you're hanging out popping the proverbial "bon bon," but if you are, I guarantee you're on your feet while doing so. My friend, LoGo, once said: "There are many days when I sit down for dinner and I realize that it's the first time I have sat down all day."

It's OK to delete a photo of you and your kid even though your kid looks really cute. If you look like crap, it's out.

It's OK to ask your kids to do stuff you don't feel like doing (e.g., letting the dog out, answering the phone when it's a telemarker calling, putting out a fire in the oven, etc.) That is, after all, one of the main reasons we let them live with us.

It's OK to lie and say the after dinner coffee is regular even though it's decaf. Your ass doesn't have to be up all night just because your friends are speed freaks.

It's OK to call your kid in sick to daycare even though she's not--you just want to hang out with her. And even so, you don't get penalized for sick days. It's freakin' day care.

It's OK to be really ready for your kids to go back to school after a snow day, a weekend or 10 minutes.

It's OK to keep a pen and pad of paper in your glove box so you can leave note on the car that is arrogantly taking up two spaces. It's also OK for that note to say: "I hope you don't F&%$ like you park."

It's OK to wonder why it's called a glove box. Does anyone ever put their gloves in there?