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We returned this week from a 2-week vacation, and I’ve been taking some time to evaluate how I approach my work as an at-home dad.

I say we returned from vacation, but for the first week we didn’t actually go anywhere. We dropped the kids off at VBS in the mornings and spent some time on home improvements. It’s my favourite form of stay-cation — the reno-cation. I installed some new flooring in our front hall, finished and caulked the baseboard trim in the kids’ rooms, painted the living room, and spraypainted an antique dresser that we got from my parents.

While unloading and reloading the dishwasher for what feels the 1 million, 1 hundredth time (my girls’ favourite number), I got to thinking — what is it about getting a few projects done around the house that makes a person feel so darn useful. Specifically, so much more useful than when we complete small, daily, mundane and repetitive tasks like laundry, dishes and diapers.

Obviously, with most home improvements, if you’ve done a good job, there’s a lasting result that people can see and compliment you on. And they usually require a lot more grunt work to complete — although the older my 1-year-old son gets, the more arduous a task the basic diaper change becomes — and the more I think I should enrol him in Greco Roman wrestling.

When I finish a home improvement project, I always enjoy standing back — usually with a cold beer in hand — and admiring my workmanship. On the other hand, I try to avoid holding any consumables when I’m unloading the Diaper Genie, and when I take a step back from the bag it’s got precious little to do with admiring that week’s work…er…load. (If I ever get to meet the actual Diaper Genie, after wishing for more wishes, my second wish will be to permanently erase my memory vault of all diaper changes).

So, anyway, as I step back into the daily housekeeping grind, this is a reminder to myself and anyone else whose daily life is filled with thankless, mindless and repetitive tasks, that we need to take the time to affirm ourselves. So, the next time you clean that toilet, go ahead and give it a good final flush. Then say it out loud: “Suck it, Toilet. That just happened.” The next time you carry the garbage and recycling to the curb, give it a little trash talk. “I just owned you, Garbage! Have fun at the waste management facility.” And if you see your neighbours taking out the trash, don’t be afraid to give them a word or two of encouragement, too. “Yo! John! Good job kicking that trash can to the curb! Well done. Keep it up. So, see you later, then. John.”

Okay, so maybe just start with the self encouragement for now. We’ll save small talk with neighbours for a later blog post.