Most moms have been there…you have a new baby and your sleep schedule is completely out of whack. You feel like you are up all night long, and if you are lucky you catch 20 minute cat naps to survive. You look over as you’re feeding the baby and your husband is sound asleep – or is he?
According to Daily Mail UK, 56% of fathers admit to pretending to be asleep when their kids are crying to avoid getting up with them. 44% admit that they knew if they didn’t get up their partner would then have to.
Most dads said that they felt useless in most night time situations. One in five said that their children only call for mom, and one in ten agreed that mom is better at dealing with most situations than they are. These situations include crying, feeding, diaper changes, teething, bed wetting, nightmares and lost binkies.
Most dads use having to work the next day as an excuse, which has led to many arguments with their spouse, because moms feel they are working hard during the day as well.
Emma Kenny, child psychologist, says that it is not uncommon for this topic to cause fights between couples.
‘Deciding who gets up in the night can often be the cause of arguments between parents.
And this is the case from the moment their baby is born, right through to pre-school age when they are dealing with nightmares and wet beds.’
‘It’s important that both mums and dads share the responsibility if their child wakes up in the middle of the night.”
For more statistics you can read the full article here.
How does it work in your home? Who gets up with the kids most often?