Our Dads and Families editor is the go-to guy for good information on changing parenting roles.
There’s a good article in the Toronto Globe and Mail up today, all about how despite changing social roles, full-time dads still face weird forms of stigmatization and stereotyping. Naturally, when the author of this article, Zosia Bielski, wanted a good source for the straight dope on fatherhood today, she talked to the Good Men Project’s own Robert Duffer.
Duffer, who has a 6-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, joined a playgroup called Chicago Dads, visiting parks and the zoo with a half dozen other fathers and their children. As talk turned to sports and beer, “Invariably, there would be a woman, usually an older woman, who would say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know it was a holiday – all these dads here!’ Seeing dads out with their kids on the weekend wasn’t odd, but seeing them during traditional work day hours is still something that people are getting accustomed to.”
It doesn’t help that the doltish dad still features prominently in pop culture.
“The whole joke is that fatherhood doesn’t come naturally, that we’re fish out of water and don’t know what to do. ‘Where does this diaper go?’ It’s a prevalent idea, this Everybody Loves Raymond archetype who’s very put out by domesticity, his wife and his kids,” says Perez, pointing out that this belief system assumes that only women are natural caregivers.
Cheers to Ms. Bielski and the Globe and Mail for tackling this topic, and for knowing a smart, reliable source when they see one!
i saw that gmp writers/ contributors kenny b, and kindling qrtly also were interviewed for the piece also
it may be true that all women are not naturally caregivers,but its also true that all men are definitely not natural Bread winners.
Natural breadwinner? Is there such a thing? I hope we have come far enough in the woman’s lib movement to recognize that gender doesn’t determine how you should live your life. These dads are making decisions and choosing to stay at home to raise their kids and support their wives careers. They don’t stay at home because they can’t have thriving careers themselves. Just as stay at home moms make “the choice” not to be “breadwinners”. People too often make the mistake of judging others with all or nothing views. Many parents who stay at home with their children also… Read more »