Do men dislike sharing their wife's affection with the children?

When I try to ask him he just laughs it off. But you are saying most men say that as a joke, so maybe that's what it is. Thank you for coming by and take care.

Well that's a relief. Thank you for your reassuring note and for dropping by. Take care.

So there must be something to it after all, huh? Its just about competing and all. Men can be so funny:) But isn't that a bit endearing after all, that he would unconsciously compete for your attention, even with his own kids. That would indeed make feel special:) Thank you for coming by and take care.

A wise and perceptive answer indeed. I still have a lot to learn about my husband, and that is one thing I should remember: he wants and even needs my attention. Its strange, though, that paternal instincts do not come naturally to men. But, if I think about it, a lot of other animals do not have it, either. After mating they just leave the female to give birth and take care of their young, right? Sorry, your statement led me to another train of thought. Anyway, thanks for your response and take care.

This is a good point that I never thought about. It's funny since I met my husband my love for him alone and I had to share my attention with his two children. That is why when our kids came along I would think he'd understand. I am not a person who deals well with having to share so it was really hard for me to understand.

I guess. We have no kids yet, but when my husband and I discuss having kids, he always jokes and says the baby will have half of me but the other half will be his and no trespassing either. We laugh about it, but I wonder if deep inside there is a grain of truth in what he says. Then one time he said, with a serious face, that maybe if we have a baby my attention would be all on the baby and I would no longer mind him. I guess at first it would be difficult for me to divide my attention fairly, especially since babies demand so much time and attention, right?