Moms, is your baby's daddy as involved in the day-to-day care of your kid as much as you think he should be? As much as you had expected? If the answer is "no," then it's a bit of a problem, huh?
A new study from Ohio State University and the University of Illinois may have found the reason for this domestic problem: you!
A study of 97 couples concluded a mother's attitude toward the father's early acts in care-giving set the stage for dividing up the kidwork 50-50 (or 10-90 ... depending).
From Reuters:
"Mothers can be very encouraging to fathers and open the gate to
their involvement in child care, or be very critical and close the
gate," said Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, a professor of human development
and family science at Ohio State University and a co-author of the
study.
The researchers found that fathers were more involved in caring for
their babies on a day-to-day basis when they received active
encouragement from their wife or partner.
My first thought when I read this was, "who died and left me the 'expert'?" The first infant I had ever held was the one I had just given birth to. My husband knew all about those rubber necks, the diapers, how to do more than stare at the thing. Two kids in I still can't swaddle a kid for shit. But the old man? Like a burrito!
Still, I get it, I get it. Women are the default caregivers in our (all?) societies and most of our minds. No matter how enlightened and experienced the baby's daddy is, I suppose if Mom says he's doing it wrong, well, then he's doing it wrong.
Related posts:
Fathers Know Best About Daughters' Purity
Then There are the Ones Who Cook
Photo: Reuters
