First week - a resounding success! (From Northwich Guardian)

First week - a resounding success!

9:12am Wednesday 9th March 2011 in Your Say

So that’s the first week done and I have to say that all things considered, it was a resounding success! The people that I am working with are funny, broad minded and creative, the physical environment itself is cracking - there’s a cafe on site that sells vegan food and, even though I am in the heart of Manchester I get my very own parking space.

The children have settled into their new routines with remarkable ease and even the dogs seemed happy enough to exchange their afternoon stroll for a brisk morning walk.

There is however, one thing that I didn’t even factor into the equation when considering my return to work. Dearly Beloved.

Four years of having a Stay At Home wife has had more of an impact on Dearly Beloved’s self sufficiency than I would ever have believed.

Yes of course it is largely my fault, how many women, Stay At Home or otherwise, would lay out breakfast, packed lunch, car keys, etc on the kitchen table for a grown man?

I believe psychologists would call it ‘learned dependency’.

This week the true extent of my overly nurturing tendencies came to light when I was due to attend a book group meeting after work. I made it clear what was expected of Dearly Beloved in my absence, in order to prepare for the coming school and work day. His withering look informed me that I was becoming irritatingly officious and so I drew the conversation to a close.

I returned home later that evening to an expression which told me that he was in fact ‘Da Man’.

I bow down to his superior organisational skills. The washing had been fed. The dogs had been neatly folded. The homework had been bathed. The children had been packed into school bags.

All expectations were surpassed, however when I saw that the dishes had been wrapped in cellophane and the packed lunches were draining next to the sink.

I am looking forward to seeing what the coming weeks bring.

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