Mr. Mom

You may remember that Heidi recently wrote a post about disproving gender stereotypes in parenting. If you haven't read it yet, please check it out.  (Although you may be inadvertently feeding her ego - turns out that, to date, her post is the most read post in the 6-month history of the blog! My blog. LOL. So feel free to check out "Worrywart," the next most-read one, and give her some competition.)

But I digress.

Her post basically explained the ways in which she embodies many of the more traditional "dad" qualities and I am more like a traditional "mom," which may be surprising given our outward appearances.  But whatever way you slice it, we're a good team for our kids, so we must be doing something right!

Well, along those lines, I just read this article on CNN.com, written by a woman whose husband fills the mom role sometimes more than she does. If you found Heidi's post interesting, compare it with this article and tell us what you think about gender stereotypes and how they actually play out in real-life families.

In what ways does your family/ parenting style conform or not conform to the stereotypes?

The (Serious) Hits

Last week, I posted a list of my favorite pieces on the blog that were sweet or funny (aside from those already featured in the "popular posts" column). Many of them were written in the blog's infancy, so I wanted to remind people that they're there.

Now I'd like to call your attention to a few of my favorite posts of a more serious/ political/ thought-provoking nature. Please check them out and let us know what you think!

The Gender Divide - describes the sometimes ridiculous delineation between toys and interests that are supposed to be "just for girls" or "just for boys" and explores what some of the underlying concerns are when kids don't neatly fit the "ideal" gender stereotype.

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

The Gender Divide

“I’m a boy,” she announces one day as we’re hanging out in the living room. “You’re a girl,” I reply. Then she says, “No, I’m a boy who climbs trees.” I had to chuckle.