Every now and then there is a new phrase that captures the world by storm; it spreads like wild fire until the point it just drives you nuts. For me, it's the phrase "The New Normal."
Everywhere I turn, someone is mentioning how life has changed so much in the past ten years that we just have to accept things as such. Whether its our spending habits or the types of cars that we drive or the way the family dynamic has changed, it's all explained in the term "The New Normal."
Being a stay-at-home dad is NOT the new normal.
I get so tired of hearing from my fellow dads that they don't get the credit that they deserve as parents, that somehow they are always overlooked in the parenting equation. When did we get in this parenting business to get any sort of adulation? Who cares who takes care of the kids as long as the kids are being taken care of and you are the BEST parent that you can be? If you just happen to be a dad that is the primary caregiver, awesome, way to be a dad!
WAY. TO. BE. A. DAD!
But I just don't know what we are striving for.
I used to get all worked up over all of the stuff that was geared towards moms. Whether it's the mom-centric advertising from major corporations or the way dad is looked at as the bumbling fool in TV shows and movies, it just doesn't bother me anymore. My wife is in advertising, why would you change what you do to cater to the four percent? Sure, we could be shown in a more positive light, but stereotypes are in place for a reason -- too many of us are still idiots that don't know what we are doing around the kids.
I guess what happens when you are a group in the minority is that you want what the majority has. In this case, I just don't know what it is that mom has that we don't. Dads aren't being oppressed as a group. You want to be a parent? STEP UP AND BE A FREAKING PARENT. You want accolades? Look at your kids. Do they smile when you are around? Do they give you hugs when you need them? Those are the only accolades that we should be looking to get. Will we only be happy if we get some sort of medal? Where does it end? Are we trying to overthrow mom in the household equation?
I am not mom and I never will be, nor would I ever want to be. I am perfectly content being Dad; a dad with two awesome kids. That is normal enough for me and it certainly is nothing new.