Just Don’t Call Me Mr. Mom

Great Title for the article. Good article too. There's a blurb in the paper article written by a mother that I think is insightful (kind of a "yeah they're more involved, but men and women still seem to have different roles and definitions of 'involvement'"). I liked that blurb (which doesn't seem to be posted online) as much as the main article. I'd guess the whole article is all old news for every dad in his 20's and 30's right now, but it's important to explain our lives to past and future generations.

Can I make one observation? Why do older generations place the blame for every parenting mistake they'll own up to, to a family on TV? I'm speaking of Leave It To Beaver. Perhaps it's because they had as many episodes as Friends did (one less, actually) and aired 4 nights a week on a TV that MAYBE had 2 other channels if you lived in a metropolis? Then again, aside from reruns, it only ran for 5 years. Surely the show isn't bad enough to be guilty of all the parenting ills of the past generation. If so then can I blame all the mistakes I'm making now on The Simpsons? Can I be a brain-dead dad just because the funny man on TV all the time is that way? Most Gen-X'ers have never seen a Leave It To Beaver episode including myself. We only know about it because those who lived in the days of modernity constantly use it as a punchline. Or worse: An excuse.


amrwillgofar: Let me encourage you as you continue to get these Mr Mom "compliments". We've all gotten them before and thanks to stereotypes handed down to us from past generations we will continue to get them for now. They just don't understand that while they mean well they are equivilently saying, "You are doing so well! You've almost reached the state or womanhood!". It's a two-way street, of course, as I'm reminded of the flipside to that 2-faced "compliment" that Secret deoderant used for their old ad slogan which read, "Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman." (Now it's rightfully been changed to simply, "Strong enough for a woman"; as to whether it, in fact, is I cannot comment).

I can only encourage you to smile back very kindly and sincerely and say, "I appreciate your kindness but if it's okay I would much prefer to just be called 'Mr Dad'. That would make my day".

Great Title for the article. Good article too. I'd guess it's all old news for every dad in his 20's and 30's right now, but it's important to explain our lives to past and future generations.

Can I make one observation? Why do older generations place the blame for every parenting mistake they'll own up to, to a family on TV? I'm speaking of Leave It To Beaver. Perhaps it's because they had as many episodes as Friends did (one less, actually) and aired 4 nights a week on a TV that MAYBE had 2 other channels if you lived in a metropolis? Then again, aside from reruns, it only ran for 5 years. Surely the show isn't bad enough to be guilty of all the parenting ills of the past generation. If so then can I blame all the mistakes I'm making now on The Simpsons? Can I be a brain-dead dad just because the funny man on TV all the time is that way? Most Gen-X'ers have never seen a Leave It To Beaver episode including myself. We only know about it because those who lived in the days of modernity constantly use it as a punchline. Or worse: An excuse.


amrwillgofar: Let me encourage you as you continue to get these Mr Mom "compliments". We've all gotten them before and thanks to stereotypes handed down to us from past generations we will continue to get them for now. They just don't understand that while they mean well they are equivilently saying, "You are doing so well! You've almost reached the state or womanhood!". It's a two-way street, of course, as I'm reminded of the flipside to that 2-faced "compliment" that Secret deoderant used for their old ad slogan which read, "Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman." (Now it's rightfully been changed to simply, "Strong enough for a woman"; as to whether it, in fact, is I cannot comment).

I can only encourage you to smile back very kindly and sincerely and say, "I appreciate your kindness but if it's okay I would much prefer to just be called 'Mr Dad'. That would make my day".