The roles we play

Becoming a mum is undoubtedly the biggest, scariest and most rewarding role you can ever play. I say play as it's a role you need to practice and it takes time to rehearse all the different aspects of the character - all with the utmost desire to deliver an award-winning performance. Or at least one that gets a few claps from the stalls now and then.

As Ethan gets older and hubs and I settle into our roles as Mum and Dad (honestly, does it ever stop sounding weird being called that??) , I'm realising that we each have quite distinct roles.

There's many things that we do well together as parents; we naturally take turns when it comes to changing nappies or preparing meals for Ethan without the need for discussion and if Ethan's ever sick, we start working in tandem with each other, one of us taking care of Ethan and one dealing with the mess left behind.

When it comes to Ethan and what he needs from us, however, increasingly I can see a difference between what hubs and I provide.

For fun, giggles and entertainment aplenty, Dad's the guy to go to. I do my best, playing with his animal figures, making the appropriate sounds, rolling a ball, showing him how to use certain toys. I just don't really *know* how to play or what to do whereas it comes much more naturally to Stephen. He scoops Ethan up in his arms, swirls him around, plays peekaboo behind the sofa cushions, pretends there's a monster under his tshirt... all sorts of fun things that just come to his mind really naturally and never fail to make Ethan giggle.

So my role tends to be more practical or emotional. I keep Ethan's routine on track, noting his meal and snack times, rotating his toys around to keep things interesting and giving him cuddles as he has his milk before bed. It comes much more naturally to me to look after the practical side of parenting and the comforting when needed, probably as I feel I know what I'm doing more.

Ethan needs to have play companions and cuddle givers so it's good that hubs and I can compliment each other well, despite our naturally skills for different roles. I hope that over time, as Ethan grows, I can learn how to play more and how to make things fun. I guess it's a case of researching my role and practising my part whenever I can.