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Gender roles in our society continue to blur every year, especially when it comes to dads. Once seen as the sole provider and disciplinarian for the family, dads today are often seen more as equal partners to moms and shouldering more domestic responsibility. In my family, I'm the "breadwinner," and my husband often says that if he could, he'd stay home with the kids while I am off at work.
Yeah, I was floored too when I heard that, since it's the total opposite of how I was raised.But though it's not really financially feasible for him to be a stay-at-home-dad, we make sure that we are equal partners in all things domestic. It's what keeps our relationship on-course and neither of us resenting the other for an uneven balance of responsibility. How do you see the role of the dad in today's modern family? Are you sticking with tradition or riding the newer way of tag-team parenting?
I think the biggest changes I've seen are that Dads (working or SAHD) are more engaged with their children now than ever before. I can't wait to come home and hang out with my boy, and it's tough to leave on business trips. But, I can't say the same for Dad's from the previous generation - it seems that they were a bit more hands off, except maybe when it came to discipline!
I agree and I think a lot of it has to do with working moms. My husband has no choice but to be involved, because even though I work at home, he still has to take over childcare during that time.
I also think it strengthens father/child relationships and is such a good thing.
I think you're so right. My dad worked at night and slept all day, so I never really had much of a relationship with him (though I love him dearly). My mom worked too, but she still had the main responsibilities of raising us. One of the things that I wanted for my kids was a dad who was really involved. What I love about my marriage (though it's my second) is that we are both our kids' main source of guidance and support. We trade off who watches which kid and when. I didn't have that growing up or in my first marriage, and the difference is huge.
I was fortunate enough that even though my father was busy growing up, he made time for us every day. It strongly influenced my own views on raising children. I love my daughter and even at her grumpiest points, just being there for her makes me happy. My wife and I both love her very much, and work together to do everything we can to provide for her. Each of us spends as much time with her as we can, and we both work to share activities. And even though my daughter is in a mommy phase, she still knows I am there for her and will run to me anytime she needs something (assuming mom isn't around to run to first ).
just my 2 cents, in my second marriage we adopt a baby boy, he was 3 months and right in there he just become my life, love to spend time with him and do everything with him, be able to kiss him good night and see him in the mornings was something that i always look forward to, my dad is more the kind of kisses and hug was for girls and not for guys, he will paly and spend time with me but limited, growing up like that make me desire to be diferent with my kids, spoil them as much i could and never stop kissing them and huging them, my baby boy now he is 7 and he live with her mother in other state, but we still talk, i also have a baby girl she is only 4 months old but she is not living with me i dont see her as much i will love to but when i see her for those 2 hours i make sure that she know that daddy is here and even she is so little i kiss her every second i hold her for the 2 hours and try to make the best, what im trying to say is that for some people dads are only here to pay for a bill, to say something to the kids when they do something wrong, and so far not a lot of people has yet undertood that we are part of our kids life and that in the case of many including my self we will love to be around and play with them to share and activity as well a diper change or to get up in the middle of the night to get a bottle and feed him/her. i guess i just stick to the modern way and make the best of with my kids, life is to short to be to busy at work and not to spend time with them.