Good morning, and welcome to the revolution. The DadRevolution.
As I sit here writing this post, I am reflecting back on my Sunday morning. It was a morning spent at Seattle’s Alki beach with my wife and son. The weather was beautiful, the air was crisp, and the people we met were generally in good spirits. It is now Spring in my city after all. It is a time when we here in the Pacific Northwest are emerging anew from a long period with the ever present threat of rain, and the grey clouds which hung over the region non-stop month after month…after month.
I’d like to think that this is also a Springtime, of sorts, for fathers. That this is a time when the grey clouds that constitute public perception about the role of fathers as care providers will clear away as well. That the idea of fathers being portrayed as dim-witted, bumbling, second class citizens in the media will finally give way once and for all to one where fathers are seen, and appreciated, for the valuable contributions that we make on a daily basis. I do get the feeling that this shift in perception is under way. That the skies are beginning to clear.
However, unlike the weather where we have to wait around for the change, with this shift we do have control. We don’t have to sit around and wait for this public perception to fully change on its own. We can be a catalyst for it. The idea of DadRevolution is to be a part of that change. To take positive steps towards showing the general public, and our families, what real involved fathers do on a daily basis.
My own father was a bit shocked when, after my son was born, I commented about all the diapers I had been changing. When I was born he was a hard-working but young father of three kids (all under the age of three). “I might have changed three diapers”, he said. “Total. Between all three of you. It just wasn’t something we did back then.” At that point it was my turn to be shocked. Though we both loved our children, our experiences were certainly polar opposites of each other.
Back at the beach, I sat in the sand for a few minutes to gather my thoughts and also to take in the sights around me. As I did so, I gazed upon multitudes of families in my general vicinity. What stood out to me most was the number of fathers who were there alone with their kids. I saw at least a couple of solo dads with infants strapped to their chests while watching older kids play in the sand, or near the water. Almost every other family also had a father engaging with his kids. This made me smile, but it didn’t surprise me in the least.
I live in the most populated neighborhood of my city and active, involved fathers are the norm. In fact, it is rare that I speak to another father around here with whom I couldn’t commiserate about late nights, long hours, and the difficulties of raising children.
The revolution has already arrived here in Seattle. I’d be willing to bet it has in your city or town also.
Now its time to get the word out. We at DadRevolution will be doing it one post at a time, and one fathering moment at a time.
We hope you continue to read and to pass on the good word. Viva la Revolution!