Every year, we celebrate two specific holidays—Mother’s Day and Father’s Day . The two holidays, which are meant to celebrate the most important people in our lives, bring forth a lot of societal norms and conversations .
For Mother’s Day, we’re always running around trying to spoil mom and let her ” take a break ” for the day. But, for Father’s Day, things are vastly different.
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Many times, Father’s Day is dad BBQing outdoors.
We get dad a small gift or two, and most of the day revolves around him manning the grill or watching a game with their feet up. While we celebrate them, we definitely don’t always give them as much admiration and appreciation as we do for mom.
There’s always a stigma around fathers in nuclear families.
When it comes to two-parent households with a mother and a father, many of society’s norms are that the dad is constantly at work, busy, and hardly around for his children when he needs to be.
The “lazy father” has become a staple of dad narratives.
The “lazy dad” narrative is perpetuated through TV shows, movies, and even on social media. We’re always talking about how hard mom works day in and day out raising the kids, cleaning the house, and taking care of everything.
Some believe when dads work full-time, they’re never around.
If dads have a full-time job, many think that they are absentee dads. They assume that they miss the big moments because they are always at their job and neglecting their kids.
However, this is the furthest thing from the truth.
Not all working fathers are deadbeat dads who put work before their kids. In fact, dads who work are putting in overtime to rush around and make sure that they can be there for all the big and little moments, too.
Studies show that dads who do work full-time put in more hours per day.
Pew Research Center compiled data to showcase how much time dads put in on an everyday basis. The study takes housework, child care, and paid work to see how much time dads and moms put in daily.
As it turns out, dads put in just as much time as moms do.
Sometimes, they put in a little more time per day than moms do. In households where moms stay home, or even in households with both parents working, dads put in more hours per day doing it all.
While “working” may not seem important, it provides stability.
Many may look down on fathers who are working every week, day in and day out, but many of these men are out there providing for their families and ensuring that they have food on the table and a roof over their heads.
And, while many dads work, they are still very involved.
Dads who work outside of the household also come home and are involved in their families. Many have family dinners with their kids nightly where they have conversations that are truly important to their kids growing up.
Not to mention, dads who coach teams on the weekends and go to all the performances.
From dance recitals to basketball teams, dads are always stepping up when it counts for the moments their kids will look back on and remember.
Today, dads are more present than ever before.
Our dads may have been less hands-on when we were growing up, but today, dads are super hands-on. A 2018 study done by Brigham Young University sociologists showcased that the majority of fathers really are both physically and emotionally involved in their kids’ lives.
Dads really do put in equal time and effort with their kids.
“We found that today’s dads spend more time, provide more care and are more loving toward their kids than ever before. Most dads see themselves as playing an equally important role in helping their children as mothers do,” shared study co-founder Kevin Shafer.
Most men know that being a dad is a core part of who they are.
Aside from their profession and their hobbies, many dads know that fatherhood is a key part of their identity and who they are. They always know that their kids are part of their entire persona.
Plus, involved dads benefit kids more.
Having both parents be around benefits the child immensely, having someone to always turn to and learn from. Studies also show that dad’s involvement can help children thrive earlier on in their childhood .
So this year, let’s really celebrate our dads.
Instead of taking it easy, let’s really show dads that we know. they’re not just the breadwinners, but instead are a huge part of everyone’s life in their family. They deserve it!
