Dad, Schmad.

I no longer believe that children should be raised in families.
What the hell for? These days, children just need to be properly raised -- with limits and boundaries -- just as my new fave show and personal hero, Cesar Milan, the "Dog Whisperer, " trains naughty-arse dogs and their spineless owners.
That said, -- why is a two-person unit necessary for child-rearing?
Think about it: It only sparks arguments if they aren't completely in sync on how to handle situations.
The village -- by way of extended family and friends can step-in where Mom is overwhelmed or just plain-ole can't handle it.
Since I've done this 180 ( is that right) becoming less ambivalent about children -- one thing's fo' sho' -- I want to raise them alone.
You guys don't know -- this is a serious about-face for me. I've been that girl sounding like an evangelical Ralph Reed-ette yapping about how I do not believe in single-parent households, particularly in the Black community.
My view was fortified over the past decade when my delusional mother adopted my baby sister and formally entered a dominatrix/submissive relationship, with my Ma as the bottom.
But I'm digressing -- that's another story.

Anyway -- point is -- I don't want some bossy man telling me what to do with the kids.
I don't want to have-it-out every day with some dude about whether or not Greer ( the absolutely most precious name ever) can wear make-up or how long she can chat on the phone with her vicious mean girl posse or what to do about her depression. Seriously.
I, the HNIC, make those decisions without argument or dissent. I'm the Mother, and I will be the boss. The village can be hangers on and can weigh-in on occasion. Trips to the playground, the roller rink, two-week vacations at someone's farm and help with math homework. But I need to have the last word?

What can two people do with children except fight over them, try to take ownership and compete for affection from them? A one parent household would be ideal -- and the standard if we weren't so busy over-scheduling: kiddie yoga, soccer tournaments, therapy sessions and SAT boot camp.

I'm going to raise those little rug rats like Cesar says to handle those dogs -- with a firm hand, or rather, calm, assertive dominance. And I don't need no man around screwing it up. Only room for one pack leader -- top dog in the crib. And that's me. Daddy's are overrated. Either way, your daughters are going to go awry at some point with the wrong guy -- it's a rite of passage. There's no preventing it. So you may as well make sure your brother, your uncles, your Dad, your guy friends, her soccer coach are actively taking a role in her life. And she'll never know know the better.