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NYT: Fathering in America
Did anyone see this article in the NYT on fathering? Here's a quote they picked off from PsychCentral:
“Many TV sitcoms and animated shows continue to portray dads as dolts or, at best, well-meaning but misguided large children whose wives have to mother them as well as their offspring. If an alien in another universe happens to tune in to ‘The Simpsons,’ ‘Everyone Loves Raymond,’ ‘Family Guy,’ etc., he (it?) will come away with a rather skewed idea of how men function in American families.”
It goes on to cover the basics of fatherhood, which will be familiar to most of us (i.e. be there, balance discipline w/ fun, be a good hubby, etc)
The fact that this is considered "news" is a little concerning to me and reminds me how far we still have to go in the perceptions game. Nonetheless, I'm still glad that the NYT took the time to cover it.
My question - do these negative stereotypes impact your every day life? What can we do to change that?
The do's and doh's!
Though I admit I have my own Homer Simpson moments, I don't feel these stereotypes impact my life as a new dad. If anything, I now have a greater appreciation of the noble TV dads, like Heathcliff Huxtable of the Cosby Show, Tim Taylor of Home Improvement, and, of course, real dad Jon Gosselin.
NYT Article on Fatherhood
Tony,
Not sure if you clicked through, but it looks like NYT lifted almost the entire piece from PsychCentral. Maybe there is a relationship there.
In any event, I liked the advice they give. I don't like the negative press of how men behave - it is a stereotype. That being said, there is some truth to the stereotype. We men can fall into patterns that are in our genetic makeup that actually do make us look like what they portray on TV. I feel myself falling into these patterns from time to time and it can be a chore to stay away from them.
That being said, I like reading these pieces to remind myself of what is right and what is wrong in being a father. We each have to define for ourselves what that is, but having more information to help us along in making those decisions is a good thing.
Thanks for pointing out the article...
NYT: Fathering in America
I also read and responded to the article. I agree with you that many of the points made should not be breaking news to parents. At the same time, articles like this are welcomed reminders and sources of inspiration for why we do what we do. After all, even the best of us lose sight of the big picture every once in awhile as we participate in the daily activities of being a dad.
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