By Marc S. Axelrod

You don’t need a uterus to take care of a grandchild. 

What is it with you grandfathers who do nothing to help with the grandkids?  Why don’t you take the initiative and dive in? 

You may say, “I don’t know how to change a diaper.” 

That’s the real crap, not what’s in the diaper.  Like women have some innate ability emanating from their wombs that tell them how to wipe a cute little butt. 

Or the famous, “She does it her way and any other way is wrong.”

So what?  Like your wife hasn’t told you a million times you’re doing something wrong.  And you ignored her and did it your way anyway. 

I won’t even go near the “women’s work” argument.  That excuse should have left your male consciousness long ago, unless you still think premarital sex is taboo and women shouldn’t have the vote.

You guys don’t realize you are missing out on the best stuff.   

I’m not bragging but I take care of one of my grandchildren alone, all day, diapers, meals, bottles, naps – the whole enchilada. 

Oh, and play.

Playing is what it’s all about.  How great is that? 

That’s how you teach them to do something they weren’t able to do last month, last week, or even yesterday.  It’s incredible.  You can practically hear those synapses connecting. 

And talking.  Talk to them and watch those little wheels turn as they take it in and figure language out.  Then one day, they say it back to you. 

My two-year-old granddaughter and I were playing with her little kitchen the other day and I held up a play hot dog and taught her the word, telling her they were my favorite.  When she said a garbled “hot dog” it made my day. 

Randomly, later in the week she came over to me and handed me the hot dog and said it again.  Made my week. 

Seems like a cute little anecdote, but it’s not.  It’s more than that.  You have to experience the feeling that gave me to understand. 

But you’ll never understand if you don’t learn to engage with those amazing little creatures. 

Back to the heat you’ll get when you screw up.  Better the complaints are about what you do then what you’re not doing. 

Don’t kid yourself, there will be complaints. 

But think of how good it will feel when your way is actually better than hers (it could happen).  And when it happens, be a real man and let her slide. 

She’s at a disadvantage.  She doesn’t have a prostate. 

---