A Survey Reveals What Dads REALLY Think About Family Time
From the archive. This post was first published on the original Green Eggs and Moms blog and is kept here as it was.
Crystal ball: Can we be seeing more dads leaving the office earlier (than usual) to spend more time with their children?
A US-based survey by Boston College suggests there might be a paradigm shift today in how dads view their role. Well, at least this is true for the 1,000 fathers who participated in the survey.
Stereotypical dads take on financial responsibility while leaving family matters to their partners. These dads come home to sleeping children, hit the sack and then leave early for work again. They have minimal interaction with their children, and are rarely present during school presentations and (or) sports activities. Their role is strictly as the sole breadwinner, which explains their working habits
However based on the survey’s findings, dads are beginning to take on a more active role in their children’s lives. Not because they are forced to, but because they want to. The survey revealed that:
Almost 70 percent of the fathers saw their responsibilities to their children as both caring for them and earning money to support them. The majority of men said that being a father means “paying attention, nurturing, listening, mentoring, coaching and most of all, being present,” the authors wrote.
What can you take away from all this? It is exciting to think that at least, in some parts of the world, there is a shift in fatherhood precepts slowly brewing. The change, of course, is for the better. So for me, the answer to the crystal ball question above is a yes, but only for fathers who can afford to clock in less working time, in favor of more family time.
PS. What is your fondest memory of your dad? Mine is of him coming home late one (mid)night from a business trip. I was about 5 then and he woke me to give me a beautiful pink diner-themed clock, which I still have it to this day. The gesture spoke volumes: despite his crazy schedule, he still made time for me, as best as he could. Tell me about yours and leave a comment below.
Photo: Creative Commons from heymarchetti