The Modern American Dad

You can find the modern father changing diapers at 2:00 AM and at the office at half-past seven. He’s wearing a blue collar, he’s pushing a stroller down the bread aisle. He’s packing a lunch, and taking lead on a conference call.

The face and function of the homemaker has changed over the last several years, move other Martha.

Image of young dad with cute little daughter in his arms

You can’t blame this shift on feminists and working women alone, men have also made the conscious effort to be the dad they always wanted growing up. Shedding the hunter-gatherer mentality and adopting a more progressive ideology has become more commonplace in today’s parenting world. Shared responsibilities are more common than not, including childcare, cleaning, cooking, and other housework.

Stay-at-home dads are now a legitimate demographic instead of a mythological farce that people used to chuckle over. Rather than giving in and hitting the grind like they’ve been taught, many men are opting for paternal leave, flex-time at work, or even becoming a stay-at-home dad.

Fathers of this era come in all shapes and forms: it’s not to say that the submissive wife and dominant husband are dead, there are just more variables in the equation. Single dads are getting custody of their children more now than ever. This is not always due to the mother being a drug addict or unstable, but rather the father is able to spend more quality time with the child and provide a better environment to grow up in.

According to athomedad.org, an estimated 1.4 million fathers stay at home, a number which has doubled in the last 10 years. The 2011 census also concluded that 7 million dads are the primary caregivers, up from 26% in 2002. Does that surprise you? Maybe it’s time we re-think American parenting roles.

The modern dad is not perfect, he is still living in a transitional period where the nuclear family is evolving into something less straightforward to define. The insecurities begin from the moment a pregnancy test is positive. Many men lose sleep over anything from changing a diaper to asking their partner to take a DNA paternity test to make sure they aren’t raising another man’s baby.

Happy young dad and son having fun, nature, evening, sunset, fat

There is also a fear of emasculation, that he is submissive to his partner, and should be working long hours in order to feed his family. While many dads are hard workers and active in their child’s life, this notion is quickly becoming outdated. The advertising world has been sprinkling in commercials with dads packing lunches, cleaning up spills, and picking up kids from the soccer game–and if the media’s on it, you know it’s kind of a big deal.

Whether you are Mr. Mom or still doing the 9-to-5, the landscape is changing, for the better.

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Jared

Jared writes lifestyle content for Unfinished Man with an edgy, provocative voice. His passion for tattoos informs his unique perspective shaped by self-expression. Jared's knack for storytelling and ability to connect with readers delivers entertaining takes on modern manhood.

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