Fathering as a Career

Society continues to evolve in this “still-new” century and with the transformation, certain social shifts arise.  Today, the majority of stay-at-home parents are mothers.  Dads, however, are making their foray into the arena at an increasing rate.  As women’s salaries begin to surpass their male counterparts, the decision to stay home often comes down to financial logic.  Whoever is making less shall stay home.

For some men, the benefits of staying home are obvious: more time with family and children.  As a stay-at-home father, men become privy to a world unknown and unexplored, and they enjoy it.  Truly understanding the daily needs of your child is a fulfilling responsibility, and stepping into the role is powerful for men.  Stay-at-home parents build a sense of intimacy with their children that is unmatched.

With anything socially rare, however, there are drawbacks.  Most notably, men that choose to stay home are fewer in numbers when compared with women that choose to do so.  The census reported approximately 5 million stay-at-home moms in 2010, while only reporting 154,000 stay-at-home dads in 2011.  Being in such a stark minority can leave men feeling alienated and unwelcome.  It can be hard for men to find support in the area, let alone support that focuses on being a primary caregiver.

When choosing to have children, there are multiple decisions to make, and determining the structure of care ultimately depends on what works for a family.  There are pros and cons for whatever path you might choose, but it is important to consider all of them.  If you and your family need help discussing the various options, check out a Dadday interactive workshop.  We’ll guide you on determining the best decision for you.  Also, stop by our website, www.dadday.org for more information on what we do!

Reaping the Benefits: How Involved Fathering Improves Health and Balance

When starting anything new, people always look forward to the end results and their benefits.  As a new father, there is an obvious benefit: giving life to, caring for, and influencing another human being.  It is probably one of the greatest roles you can play.  To many, those joys are enough.  That being said, it is nice to know that there are a slew of other perks—some health-related, and some not—for those fathers that are involved with their children.

One health-related benefit: Reduced risk for cardiovascular disease.  A recent study showed that, “fathers are less likely than childless men to die of cardiovascular disease.  [This study] is the latest of many scientific studies suggesting that fatherhood improves men’s health.”  We are not sure what the root cause of this might be, but, for some, it could be a lifestyle change.  As fathers step into their role as caretaker for their child, many recognize the importance of nutrition, health, fitness, among other things.  As a father, you no longer live solely for yourself; your decisions impact the life of another.  Realizing this is so powerful.

Another perk: Fathers that are involved in their child’s lives are less likely to be depressed.  In our last blog, we discussed how new fathers (like mothers) can suffer from postnatal depression.  We are not discounting these very real emotional experiences, but when fathers make it a point to actively participate in all aspects of parenting, they tend to feel much happier and more satisfied in their role.  It’s safe to say that when you invest yourself as a new father, you can feel more involved and prouder of the influence on your child.

Finally:  Fathers are much more adept at multi-tasking and balancing of a variety of charges.  As a new father, you will immediately see that the number of jobs you perform will be numerous and diverse.  Fathers are coaches, doctors, friends, and so much more, all under the umbrella of one household.  When a father steps outside of his house, his ability to balance is that much more acute.

The perks and benefits of fatherhood are plentiful.  It is just a matter of learning how to healthily manage them. If you are looking to explore the benefits more in depth, join a Dadday interactive workshop.  We offer classes where you can learn how to be an involved father and how you can transform some of the challenges into more fun experiences.  Feel free to visit our website, www.dadday.org for more information.

Fathers Feel It Too

We recently came across an article discussing fathers and postnatal depression.  As a society, we are working to better understand the post-partum depression that many mothers experience after giving birth.  Research is much more scarce, however, examining the emotional state of new fathers.  A recent study by the Melbourne’s Parenting Research Centre showed, surprisingly, that fathers were experiencing, “rates of problems at the same level as [they] were seeing in mothers.”

These “problems,” the researchers found, include, “symptoms of anxiety, worry, stress, feeling unable to cope, feeling blue and despairing that things won’t get better.”  As a new father, exploring such important and unchartered territory, these feelings are wholly valid.  At our Dadday workshops, we discuss these emotions in depth because as an organization, we recognize the experience of new and “renewed” fathers; it is a powerful responsibility.

Fatherhood is no easy feat, and one report writes that, “The peak time for fathers’ depression is thought to be between three and six months after the birth.”  This emphasizes the need for strong support for new fathers, in the same way that it exists for new mothers.  As an organization, part of our mission is to provide new and expecting fathers with a comprehensive “instruction kit” for the first months.  We all know how difficult it is to begin new things, especially beginning the journey of parenting.  Fathers are in a unique position, and Dadday aims to support them in whatever way we can.

Throughout the course of this blog, we will continue exploring fatherhood through different perspectives.  Ultimately, we want to open our readers up to new and interesting information that leads to understanding the role and importance of fathers.  Please, check out our website, www.dadday.org for more information on what we do!

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