I am tired of the idiot-dad stereotype.
In fact, run a google search on idiot dad, and a ton of things come up.
I will admit, the stereotypes for moms and dads are there for a reason.
Mom's are expected to be perfect and do 99.91% of the work involved in raising a child, and dads are expected to...
just keep them alive until mom gets home.
According to a StatsCan survey, a fathers participation in daily household work increased from 50 percent in 1986 to 76 percent in 2015, so we're making progress but still..
Mom does everything and is expected to. Dad needs to cut the lawn.
If dad goes to the grocery store and almost gets the entire list with his 3 year old in tow, he's praised for giving it a valiant effort. After all, he's a dude and he's not supposed to know any of that.
You know the shows that celebrate idiot dads, too.. Married With Children, The Simpsons,, Everybody Loves Raymond, Family Guy, Home Improvement..and every other one. They are all ignorant and dumb. Fun-loving, yet completely clueless.
And we celebrate the anti-hero, Taylor..and we root for the underdog and perpetuate the personal victimization.
I'll admit, it is sometimes easier to be told which direction to go in, then to try and navigate the GPS of life on my own. After all, that's mom's job...Plus I work 3-7, which is primetime for parenting..
I will sometimes be referred to as Gleen..Which is my family's lighthearted nickname for me when I'm doing something dumb. I laugh along sometimes, and other times I get angry. Maybe it's because I left something out of the kid's lunches..Maybe it's because I went to the wrong playing field on the wrong day, and sometimes it's just because I'm buying into my own stereotype and basking in the pity-party because it's easier.
There are 2 main ways we can break the idiot dad stereotype.
First and foremost, dads need to take responsibility for their own actions. If they want respect, they need to earn it. Be involved, ask questions, make it a partnership instead of a sole-proprietorship.
Mom's work is thankless, and if you're looking for praise, post your Blackstone smash burger pics on Tik Tok and count the likes.
Second, we need to set our guys up to win. Make them a part of the process, encourage their input and gauge their level of interest.
Some of my biggest life-influencers set me up to make my own decisions and empower me.
Some guys are OK with being in the dark. I'm not one of them.
Earning money and then sitting on the recliner with my pipe is not who I am.
And it's also not 1955 anymore.
Equality is equality no matter what the cause.
All my best as you figure out life and the relationships in it
XOXO Glenn