Comments on: Omar Epps: ‘Nothing Can Really Prepare You’ for Parenthood

By: MiB

MiB — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:51:55 +0000

I think aroundtheywaygirl said it excellently, it happens all the time and it’s not sexist, it’s pragmatic.

By: kai

kai — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:03:22 +0000

^^maybe we should have a little more trust in today’s women. I’m sure his wife is capable of making her own decisions and standing up for herself. As others have said, it sounds fairly normal to me considering his work arrangements.

Besides, he doesn’t have to defend himself. It’s his business.

By: CelebBabyLover

CelebBabyLover — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:26:00 +0000

NikNak- He DID explain it, as have some of the other posters. When he is working on his TV show, he works long hours, so in order to be in tip-top shape, he can’t get up at night to help with the kids. Also, I’m sure he does his share of parenting duties during the day on days when he’s not filming.

By: NikNak

NikNak — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:31:18 +0000

Maybe he should’ve elaborated on why he can’t deal with midnight wake-ups. I don’t like assigned roles based on what society says.

I mean as long as there’s a reason why she needs to be the only one participating in raising their children (that’s what he makes it sounds like), then cool. Otherwise, he sounds sexist.

By: meghan

meghan — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:25:41 +0000

Whatever works for their family. That’s all that matters.

By: aroundtheywaygirl

aroundtheywaygirl — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:25:31 +0000

Omar and his wife are not doing anything so completely out of the norm. My MIL did the same thing when my FIL worked 18 hour days running a major New York City hospital. I do it for my husband when he is working on a film. My friend does it for her husband when he’s working on a major case for his law firm. And, another friend of mine who is a SAHD does it for his wife when she’s working on a major financial deal. It doesn’t help for the sole breadwinner or majority breadwinner to be sleep deprived and not in top form to do there job. It’s not that they abdicate total responsibility. If there is a serious problem with the kids during the sleeping hours all spouses spring out of bed to help. If your spouse has a job where they work long grueling hours or have non-traditional hours you do what you have to do to support them and make sure they are well rested. Sometimes that means not sleeping in the same room with them for bit. If Omar said they had a nanny so he and his wife cold get some sleep everyone would be jumping on the sanctimommies “you don’t need a nanny” wagon.

By: MZ

MZ — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:18:58 +0000

After reading some interviews with other TV stars, I hear sometimes the don’t get done filming till like 2 AM and then still have to be at work at 8 AM. So, I do understand him not getting up for the middle of the night wake-ups when he only has a few hours of sleep anyway. Like the other posters said, I’m sure those arrangements are only during taping; actors usually get a few months off during the year.

By: missnorcal

missnorcal — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:53:59 +0000

Working on an hour long television show is grueling work. I think they work 16 hours a day minimum from what I hear. That alone sounds tiring. Added to that, he sounds like he must be a very light sleeper and can’t sleep with his wife during the taping of the season because her needing to get up to a crying baby would wake him up and effect his work. I have no doubt that if the roles were reversed and she was on the tv show, that he would do the same for her. Being in top form to be able to memorize his lines and work all day is important for the financial support of his family. I am certain that if his wife or children needed him in the night that he would have no issue with getting up. Families all over the world make various adaptions to what might be considered “normal” to make things work as best as they can for their family.

By: 12 Weeks Pregnant

12 Weeks Pregnant — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:06:02 +0000

The midnight shifts can be hard but they are part of the job!

By: Mallory

Mallory — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:25:45 +0000

CelebBabyLover – Hey, I got that. I just think it’s weird. Like Anna said, what if his wife needed help? But hey, it’s not my life, so if it works for them and he and his wife are happy, then more power to ‘em.