While watching my oldest son’s soccer game last weekend, I saw something awesome happen. One of the best players on our team became overwhelmed by the defense strategies of the other team, whom he felt were charging and tripping him. He was so overwhelmed, in fact, that he started having a minor anxiety attack, breathing fast and fighting back tears. As soon as our awesome coach noticed, he whistled for a time-out to the game and sat down across from the boy. Coach Alan looked the kid in the eyes and talked calmly to him, reassuring him that everything was okay. The two of them practiced some relaxation techniques and soon our most powerful offensive player was back in the game.
It was a lovely sight to behold, a grown man sitting down in the grass, reassuring a scared young athlete, kindly and confidently nurturing the child until he was ready to get back to the game. There was no shame, no “big boys don’t cry” or “toughen up”—just compassion.
We see examples of good men all the time in real life life and on The Good Men Project. We know that masculinity comes in as many forms as there are men in the world, and our society is finally starting to accept and appreciate men for their diversity. Examples of guys like Coach Alan are everywhere—guys who are confident in who they are and in their abilities, and who are comfortable enough in their own skin to be exactly who they are.
While some guys seem to be born with confidence and the ability to shrug off the messages about masculinity that constantly bombard us in society—from the media, parents, teachers, coaches, peers and other sources—for most people it takes a few years and a lot of maturity to really let our true selves show, and to become comfortable in our own way of doing things. Often times parenthood is a catalyst to this change, since we start to re-evaluate what we want from life, and the world we want to create for our kids.
A lot of the guys I know, including my husband and my best guy friends, talk about the transition from “me” to “we” when kids are born. Not only do kids cause you to think about how every little thing you do is going to help or hurt them, but they also take up a lot more of your “me” time, including for something like skin care, which becomes even more important as we age.
That’s why Dove® Men+Care® is so great for guys, it’s skin care that’s easy. It’s body washes that really clean, have great scents, and also double as moisturizing face washes. When you can use one product that works three ways, it not only saves time, money and energy… three things most dads will tell you they wish they had more of!
If you’re like my husband used to be—one of the guys who still uses the same drying bar of soap on his face as he does on his body—you’ve got to check out the the Dove® Men+Care® Body and Face Washes. They’re the number one choice of dermatologists because they’re clinically proven to fight dryness, all while utilizing the Dove® Men+Care® scents, which are masculine without being overpowering. My own husband, who was using a really drying bar soap when I met him, is now hooked on the Awake body wash, and keeps a stash of it under the sink so he doesn’t run out. The scent is great in the morning or after a workout, with a scent that’s a fresh and energetic burst.
Same goes for the Aqua Impact antiperspirant + deodorant. My husband started out using the Dove Body and Face Wash, and after hearing me say how much I liked the way he smelled, he added the Aqua Impact Antiperspirant + Deodorant. It’s without a doubt my favorite of the deodorants he’s tried in the 8 years we’ve been together because he smells great all day without having a perfume-y smell that is overwhelming… You never want to be that guy whose cologne enters the room before you do! You just want to be confident that you smell fresh.
The thing about skin care is this—you want it to work without being a chore. Dove® Men+Care® makes it easy to fight odor and dryness and get on with your day, so that you too can be comfortable in your own skin.
This post written in conjunction with Dove Men + Care
Lead image: Flickr/Yatmandu
Soccer ball image: woodleywonderworks
This article should come with a disclaimer stating “this is an advertisement.” I’m okay with the above poster’s comment that ads help this site to exist, but at least call a spade a spade and not mask it as a legitimate article.
I personally would have made the connection with self-presentation rather than soccer coaching, BUT I like gmp enough to be happy with any adverts it gets. As a man with both no sports skills and bacne I can only wish I’d had more skin comfort in adolescence…and yesterday.
everyone has to eat fella. the magazine has to support itself. in ad-articles, i like to see how ‘the great reveal’, the product placement is woven to the narrative. i thought the below was pretty good (m.green’s shaver ad-article i remember brought a smile to my face). A lot of the guys I know, including my husband and my best guy friends, talk about the transition from “me” to “we” when kids are born. Not only do kids cause you to think about how every little thing you do is going to help or hurt them, but they also take… Read more »
I… wow. This reads like an actual article and an advert glued together with the most tenuous of connections. Nice bit of advertising hackery there.