Parenting

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Are dads the new moms?

It's been said that perhaps men are the new women, with the male pedicures and such. A recent New York Times article takes this to the next level by describing a group of men, stay at home dads all, who get together with each other for coffee after dropping the kids off at school. One of them describes their jaunts as "like 'Sex and the City' with coffee instead of cosmos."

Here are a couple of other possible descriptions:

"Like 'Sex and the City' with more body hair."

"Like 'Sex and the City' only we don't talk about penises."

Actually, they do talk about penises! At length! (No pun intended.) The article details the dads discussing the pending bris of one of their sons; a debate about the merits of circumcision follows, with one dad defending the practice by saying, "You don’t think that with our technology you won’t be able to get a better foreskin?" (I wonder if one of the men replied, "Ooo, we're SO Carrie.")

Then there was this line: "We do more parenting than our type-A wives and feel we’re justified." That killed me, or more accurately, would get me killed by my wife if I said it in the Times. The speaker was referring to the fact that they go out for breakfast with other dads on a regular basis.

What I want to know is this: why does everything have to be a "thing"? It's not that I begrudge anyone their desire to hang out with like-minded folks. I would blame the 'Sex and the City' comparison on the author of the article, but it's a quote from one of the men.

And guys? You're not "entitled" to brunch. It's not a constitutional right. Sure, if you have time, hang out with your friends. Whatever. But "We do more parenting than our type-A wives and feel we’re justified"? How about "they go to work and you stay home so they're justified"? It's always funny to me that the non-traditional man stays at home with the kids scenario often devolves into the man not cooking or cleaning, and having time to linger over brunch. When women used to do this, it was derisively referred to as a kaffeeklatsch. But the men "feel justified."

(image: hbc.org.uk )

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Comments 31-33 of 33
  • chango885's Avatar
    Posted by chango885 Sat Jul 26, 2008 12:47am PDT

    Who wrote this, the must live in the world of fantsy. The real dad is the one who goes to work, goes to meetings, goes to games, makes birthday party's and hope that the kids are going to be ok, while we are at work. There are a lot of dads that are out there. YOU need to know that i have to girls in colege and i got them their by working three jobs. I love my kids, but drinking coffe with the buddies,i dont think so! If i see anything from Bret singer again i will not respond .

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  • TBeck's Avatar
    Posted by TBeck Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:27pm PDT

    Hahaha...Lishker I love your comment. So true.

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  • 's Avatar
    Posted by Mon Mar 23, 2009 2:40pm PDT

    Good for those dads that can stay at home. I could never do it. It is way too hard for me.

    http://lifeofanewdad.blogspot.com

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