Dude Looks Like a Lady: Gendering Parenthood

I am the Dad.  Or, better yet, I am the 1950s Dad.  I work long hours, come home to dinner on the table most nights, and contribute very rarely to routine housework.  I am the major breadwinner and I handle all of the household jobs that require muscle or the use of tools. 

Yet these characteristics are not what make me the Dad.  Rather, it is the relationship that I share with Anna that makes me the Dad in our family.

Happy together, Oct. 2011

Here Comes Another Awesome Guest Post!

It seems that My Life With Pie is really becoming a family affair. I do the writing, Uncle Keith does the tech support, and now Mama Heidi is inching her way toward becoming a regular guest post writer.

Tomorrow we're featuring Heidi's 2nd guest post here on the blog. Here's a bit of a teaser.....have you ever thought about what makes a mom a mom?  Or what makes a dad a dad?  Is it just gender, or is it how we express our gender?  Let's face it, some of us moms aren't the gentle, warm and fuzzy type, and some dads aren't the strong, tough, provider type.  Some moms can be tougher than typical dads, and some dads can be sweeter and more nurturing than typical moms. Sometimes the stereotypes are just plain wrong.

Of course, gender issues become even more nuanced when there is a single parent who has to be both mom and dad, or when, like us, the parents are a same-sex couple.  Some people have wondered which one of us is the "mom" and which one is the "dad." Do we fit into those typical roles?  Should we?  Why is this what people expect?

Please tune in tomorrow as Heidi tackles this complicated and very interesting topic. See you then!