What’s With All the Attention Dads Are Receiving?
Dads…They are not intimidated by anything and nothing is off limits. They go to obstetrical appointments before the baby is born and pediatric appointments afterward. They get involved in the selection of supplies – furniture, strollers, car seats, playpens, etc.
Masculinity is undergoing massive changes. Here’s what has been revealing this fact.
GrandGirl #1’s first birthday was approaching, so it was time to buy more clothes! As I searched for some spring and summertime selections, I was quickly struck by something completely out of the ordinary.
There was a very noteworthy plethora of dad-centric options! They outnumber the mom-centric choices by about 3:1! And the options reach beyond the tired "Daddy's Girl." Now it's "Cool Like Dad" and "Wild About Daddy".
What's happening??
I asked my son about this. Like, what’s going on?
“Everyone knows kids love their mothers.”
Ok.
But why these shirts now?
“Dads are more involved today.”
Abso-freakin-lutely!
My son is hands-on with everything! He loves having girls too. In fact, before GrandGirl #1 was born, he latched onto some of the “Girl Dad” branded hats and clothing. Yes, this is a thing.
The clothing industry is hip to this generational change and it’s not hard to find the wardrobe reflecting it. So how long will it take before it’s so normalized that it’s no longer a thing? When will we see a complete parity between the “I love mama” and “I love dada” t-shirts??
I was kinda astonished by this new trend, but astonishment has been a frequent feeling when it comes to this new generation of parents. They have plenty of new approaches that bare no resemblance to how us Gen X’ers approached things.
Examples:
Children can now stay in child car seats until age 10! Toddlers should wear shoes when they start trying to walk so that they don’t “toe walk”! Babies shouldn’t suck their thumbs or use baby bottles for too long because it will mess up their front teeth! Cribs don’t have descending sides or bumpers or anything else on the mattress, not even a blanket! They use sleeping sacks instead.
Also, I’m not allowed to swear in front of the babies and eventual toddlers, but I kinda understand that.
Back to the dads. They are not intimidated by anything and nothing is off limits. They go to obstetrical appointments before the baby is born and pediatric appointments afterward. They get involved in the selection of supplies – furniture, strollers, car seats, playpens, etc.
They are very very present!
The only thing I wanted to know…will my son be braiding hair one day?
I got a "maybe", which is likely a "yes", and clearly, not a hard "no"!
