What's your favourite time of the parenting day?

I bath our son. I bath him, I read to him, give him his last bottle and safely put him to sleep. That routine is mine, I've claimed it... I like it and I don't like it being interefered with. It sounds strange that something which in reality is a chore has become something that I look forward to most; but in claiming that routine as mine to facilitate and manage is what's really made me believe in myself as a Father. I'm a working Dad that tries to be hands on but it's only natural that my Wife (who is a stay at home Mum) cops most of the work, most of the time and as a result of that, she is a much more confident parent than I am. But my own parenting status has been cemented in my mind since really taking the reigns on Claytons night time routine.

Bathtime is great fun and we have our own little games; characters with their own unique voices and personalities that get involved and bathtime only songs that don't really get played out at any other time unless it's just me and him. We do things that we don't do at any other time of day or if we aren't alone as a twosome and we definitely talk (me at least) more than we would at other times of the day. Things like that have really helped the 2 of us bond over the last few months. Don't get me wrong though... it's not always fun. There are the times when he is already too tired and cries midway through his laughs, and he always screams when it's time to get out of the tub to be dried off and (heaven forbid) re-clothed. But the fact that we sometimes have mishaps and I manage to find a way to deal with them and solve the problems presented to us is what's made me believe in myself as a parent.

Before we had instilled a solid routine, bedtime used to be a nightmare the majority of the time. Now, it's a breeze. After his bath, he gets at least 2 stories in my chair in the living room, followed by his last bottle of milk and is carried up the "wooden hills to bedfordshire" and lay down to recharge for the next days chaos and carnage. I've nailed the routine and I'm secretly proud of the fact that I always see it through smoothly. WIthout doubt, from a parenting perspective it is my favourite time of day and my preferred task as a Dad.

What do you enjoy most about your daily routine as a parent? Get involved and link up to your own blog posts about similar experiences below...