I am a male nurse of just over a year and I have a wonderful, amazing, awesome son named Ben who is my life. My absolute world. He does everything with me and we are inseparable. I work a night shift that is a cadre shift. I work 7p-7a Sat-Mon and pick up OT when I can. I came from a factory and took an educational buyout, and went to school full time and got my BSN and I haven't looked back. My son has only known me as being in school and being a nurse. He has never known me to do anything else really.
So I ask my son yesterday, "Ben, What do you want to be when you grow up? A Doctor right?" My son looks at me and says, "No! I want to be a nurse dad." I ask him, "Why do you want to be a nurse?" He tells me, "So I can go to work with you and see you all the time dad, plus I want to help people like you do."
My little boy made me cry right there. It wasn't the fact that he wanted to be a nurse, it was that he wanted to work and be with me and he has a sense of caring. I tell you, that just made my day and I wanted to share it.
Sounds like you are doing a great job teaching him compassion and he obviously feels loved and safe. Enjoy every second!! Bet he'll make a great nurse.
Mine is a little younger, and he wants to be "an alien doctor...and you can be my nurse, Mom." Kinda tells you what he thinks of the pecking order around here! Although it is cute when people ask him what he wants to be when he grows up and he tells the "A xenobiologist!"
That made my heart soar and I don't even really like kids! I suppose it's bad parents I don't like really. Good for you! You must be a great dad!:redpinkhe
Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
I'll be another one thanking you for posting a smile for my day!
My DS is a bit older now (11yo) but when he was a preschooler he wanted to be a woman when he grew up. (This REALLY freaked out his father!) Digging into it a little bit, he wanted to be able to have a baby in his tummy (like I did) and be a mommy (like I was) when he grew up. (awwwwwww!:redpinkhe)
I explained that it wasn't possible for him to have a baby in his tummy, but that it didn't matter if he was a mommy or a daddy, b/c all that mattered was that he loved his child -- cuddles and hugs and kisses and security and all that stuff that he gets from me can be provided by a parent of either gender.
(of course, now that he's 11yo, he's MORTIFIED at the thought that he used to want to be female! )
Here's hoping that we're FINALLY starting to shed the stupid gender roles, and the next generation will be full of men who aren't afraid to show that they care!
)
Chin up
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You sound like an awesome person yourself! Wish we had more fathers who demonstrated true manhood to their children. Peace!