Hey fellow dads, We need to talk. It’s time for a change. Let’s get straight to the point: I don’t babysit my son, and neither do you. Parents don’t babysit, they care.
Picture this: someone asks you to make plans, but your partner is out, so you can’t join. Then you hear:
“Oh, are you babysitting?”
Or even worse, you find yourself saying:
“I can’t, I’m babysitting.”
This is absolute nonsense
Why do we make it sound like being a dad is a part-time job? What’s up with “daddy day” or “daddy duty”? We’re dads 24/7 for the rest of our lives.
Let’s face it. There’s no such thing as “mom day” or “mom duty.” Most moms simply say, “I have the kids.” They don’t call it “mommy duty.” So why are we?
Being a dad isn’t a temporary stand-in position that we activate when we feel like it. It’s our responsibility and destiny from the moment our wives got pregnant.
Why do we say babysit?
To be honest, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because:
- We feel like we’re the lesser half?
- We genuinely believe we’re just filling in until mom gets back?
- We juggle fatherhood with work?
- Society values fatherhood less than motherhood?
Probably, our response is on autopilot, just trying to explain why we can’t join, and that’s okay.
But for me, fatherhood is something really special, and I refuse to downgrade it to babysitting and neither should you.
Let’s change the narrative. Next time, say, “I’m spending time with my child.” We’re not temporary stand-ins; we’re parents, fully engaged in raising our kids.
Take pride in your role. We don’t babysit , we parent.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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From The Good Men Project on Medium
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