I don’t blog very often about Scott, my husband. Largely because I always take the “Is it my story to tell?”approach with this blog. This blog isn’t about him or our relationship. It’s about me and my misadventures in parenting, my rants, my successes and failures.
And, to be honest, another part of that is I don’t want to come off like I’m bragging.
Because the guy is like a dad rockstar. Often, I feel like he does more than 50% of the work around here… but then I factor in that I’m breastfeeding, and I feel like that at least keeps us equal. (I especially like to remind myself of this on weekend mornings when he lets me sleep in, and takes all 3 kids to Home Depot.)
Last weekend I began to think I should include him some more. I was surrounded by one of my favorite groups of people, the Dad 2.0 Summit crowd. I’ve gone 3 years in a row now, and it’s so refreshing and inspiring. This whole collection of men and women are there to break down the stereotypes and move fatherhood forward. There are conversations that make me feel all the feels, and I cry more with this group than I do at any other conference all year.
These men are all putting themselves out there on their blogs, across social media, and in their daily lives. They are owning what fatherhood means to them, not what society, the media, and even previous generations tell them it should mean. They are changing the image of modern fatherhood at a grassroots level.
And I want to be a part of that. Not only because I think fathers deserve this change, but because I think mothers do, too.
Josh Levs, a CNN and NPR reporter, and one of the Dad 2.0 keynote speakers, filed a charge with the EEOC against Time Warner last year when he learned that he could not get paid time off Β to stay home and take care of his new baby (his wife needed to return to work), despite the policy allowing mothers, and adoptive parents to have that time off. Anyone could get paid time off after having a baby EXCEPT a biological dad. So he’s fighting to change that.
Mothers are constantly struggling to find balance and support, taking on too much, fighting for the opportunities to do both parenting and professional careers. We aren’t going to get very far in this battle if we don’t help fathers out at the same time. We can’t do this alone.
And in the end, the people who will benefit the most from this are our kids.
Hopefully subtly, I’ll Β add a little more of Scott and his fatherhood story in here. Because moments like these deserve a little piece of the internet. (And maybe I’ll even blog about his hat.)
I’ll leave you with this. If you think fatherhood is changing from the dumbed-down man who can’t navigate a grocery store and doesn’t touch diapers, you’re right. Well, at least the version that’s represented by the media. The average father on the other side of the screen has been more competent than given credit for for a long while, I’d argue. It’s just taken this long for the mainstream to begin to catch up. I’m glad they’re making strides.
- 8Shares
32 comments
RT @babyrabies: New Post- I Think I Should Blog About My Husband More http://t.co/MkBHusT1u4 — Lessons from @Dad2Summit
RT @babyrabies: New Post- I Think I Should Blog About My Husband More http://t.co/MkBHusT1u4 — Lessons from @Dad2Summit
@babyrabies @dad2summit love this, love changing fatherhood and motherhood for the better.
RT @babyrabies: New Post- I Think I Should Blog About My Husband More http://t.co/MkBHusT1u4 — Lessons from @Dad2Summit
[…] Jill Krause […]
@babyrabies @dad2summit “..move fatherhood forward. .These men R all..across social media..owning [fatherhood]..changing..@grassroots level”
RT @babyrabies: New Post- I Think I Should Blog About My Husband More http://t.co/MkBHusT1u4 — Lessons from @Dad2Summit
@babyrabies @dad2summit #NationalPrayerBreakfast #Fatherhood #50_50RebuttablePresumption #HB687TownHalls #KidsBestInterests #Bias
@babyrabies knows a thing or two about good dads (and husbands): http://t.co/khAaLEJrXs #dad2summit
Gave me chills. β@whithonea: @babyrabies knows a thing or two about good dads (and husbands): http://t.co/ikOtvBDmpT #dad2summitβ
RT @RedRover: Gave me chills. β@whithonea: @babyrabies knows a thing or two about good dads (and husbands): http://t.co/ikOtvBDmpT #dad2sumβ¦
Would love a list of their blogs?
I follow a couple already, nearly wetting my pants with HowToBeADad for example, and Convos With My 3 Year old.
Fancy doing a shoutout blog post with some follows we can feast on? I’m lucky to have a good dad for a husb (don’t get me wrong, he ain’t perfick, and never the heck am I) so I totally agree with you that our fight is their fight. Love your stuff – could eat that chubby Leyna pic you just posted on FB by the way!!
The summit has a recap link page, with links to all the recaps of the conference here: http://www.dad2summit.com/2014/02/03/dad-2-opinion-recaps-of-dad-2-014/
Thanks for linking to that, Jon!
In case you didn’t see, Jon linked to the recap list below, and that is a great starting point. I love the idea of doing a dad blog shout out post, though. I’ll work on that.
And thanks!
Awesome post. I’ve often said that my husband is a far better dad than I am a mom. I’m always so proud of what an incredible father his is to our kids. I think you should do some more bragging. π
On it. π
I have been pretty impressed with my husband these days too. He took the two and four year olds to magic kingdom last week by himself so I could have the stomach flu in peace (with the happy 5 month old) on our Disney trip. Seriously impressive.
Whoa. So impressive.
I like hearing you mention your husband π it’s heart warming to hear about such an awesome father and husband. And you are right, he’s a freaking super dad/husband. I mean my husband is an amazing father and the absolute love of my life but he doesn’t do half that stuff that yours does π but I totally knew what I was signing up for and wouldn’t change a thing LOL
Ha! Well, honestly, I’m sure there’s stuff he doesn’t do that other dads do. Just like there’s stuff that I don’t do that other moms do. I think it’s less about what we all do, and more about an equal balance.
I love this so very much. Dads deserve so much more credit than they currently get. My DH is also a rockstar and we are so blessed. <3
Jill,
It was great to meet you and hang a little bit. Thanks for stopping by the workshop as well. Your Scott is a definite keeper.
Same, Jon! Thanks. I look forward to seeing more photography stuff from you.
So, so adorable!! Hooray for getting a good one. My husband is a very hands on dad too and I love it.
Very endearing, right?
amen! thank you for posting. my husband is an amazing dad. he got laid off during the economic downturn in 2008, and was a stay-at home dad for quite a while to our baby who is now 5 (while I was at the office full time). I credit him for the amazing kid our son is. he works from home now, and we have part time childcare for our 2nd son who is a baby now. he juggles so much and makes time for everyone even though we all get stretched thin sometimes. and every week, he rocks grocery shopping with a baby and a kid in tow so I can get stuff done at home.
As the daughter of a to-this-day phenomenally involved daddy (and now papa!) and the wife of a wonderful husband and father, I LOVE posts like this. I hope the media catches on quickly – It’s time to honor the guys who ARE awesome and stop propagating (and somehow promoting?!) the “dumb dad” and “apathetic husband” stereotype portrayed on television and movies.
Mad props to all the Dads who are embracing fatherhood! I Think I Should Blog About My Husband More http://t.co/McWDtznk3Q via @babyrabies
Glad to have finally met you (despite our both attending all 3 of these summits) and hear the man in your household is doing’ things well!
We’re not on equal footing here with my husband, I’m the one with kids 24/7. But he works so hard to keep me home with kids and I am thankful, he does it all for us and loves spending his time off with us. Sure, I also work about 35 hours a week, but I don’t have to leave the house or submit to a boss π He will sometimes take the kids to the store with him to give me a break, or stays with them for a couple of hours so I can go by myself – though it’s rare, it’s enough for me! What matters most to me is that we agree on everything in terms of parenting and our relationship, it’s comforting to know that.
RT @babyrabies: New Post- I Think I Should Blog About My Husband More http://t.co/MkBHusT1u4 — Lessons from @Dad2Summit