I was reading from Rebel Dad's blog and he featured the link below, which is a great look at a group of stay at home dads. The piece isn't condescending, it gives the men's reasons for their decision, it celebrates what they get out of the experience and most of all it defies the ridiculous stereotypes that are so often associated with dad's who take on the daytime child rearing role.
This is a big deal for me, as the spouse of a stay at home dad. I have gotten, along with my spouse, the puzzled looks from people when we explain our situation and I know the struggles he has had with the role, the isolation, as well as the loss of identity with not being in the work force.
But I still say in the end that what my spouse is doing (and other stay at home dads) is way more important than anything they did in their "real" jobs. Most days I think my spouse knows this. And everyday I know he knows how lucky he is to have this time with the spawn.
4 comments:
Hi there--sorry I missed lunch yesterday. Will try again soon!
Fox did this? Impressive. Well, it's about time people start getting over silly gender roles. Marriage and family is about helping each other out, however that works out. All the rest is illusion (so say Master Yoda!).
Yes indeedy, we shall.
I know, who knew that Fox could do anything but horrify and annoy?
Sorry, it has been a while since I checked in, so I am commenting on more than one post.
I think was a great 4 min spot, and it is pretty great that Fox aired it (condemned souls must be saving carrots to make noses on their snowpeople...), but I could not help but notice the defensive posture that the men in the clip were taking, which indicated that we are not quite as far along as maybe we should be.
The fact that this is "news," and not a reasonable response to a gender-role-free assesment of earning power in a capitalist economy makes me think that we have a way to go...
Thanks for sharing this. It was good food for thought for an expectant father.
Zeke — you are right this shouldn't be news, but alas it is, which shows you how far we still have to go. That being said, I still maintain that I would rather see this view of the story than the Mr. Mom one that has been rammed down our throats since Michael Keaton first stumbled into the world of stay at home dads (and hey it is a funny movie, just not reality for most).
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