Every year for the past several years, major media outlets have marked Father’s Day by publishing features and commentaries about Dads. This past Father’s Day was no exception, but what is exceptional is how positive the articles are about changing fatherhood. Notably, while there were some vestiges of the strong/masculine/breadwinning father stereotype here and there, most of what was published seems to point to fathers’ changing roles — the departure of today’s new Dads from the models likely set by their own fathers.
In the Globe & Mail, Shelley Smith asks: “Where are the stay-at-home dads in children’s books?”, and David McGinn explains “Why I’m a weepy dad and my dad wasn’t” — a shift he sees reflected in the relationships between other 21st century men and their Dads.
In the National Post, Sara Boesveld puts a human face on the statistics, showcasing the lives of Dads who are “deeply engaged in child-rearing amid a mini baby boom”.
Finally, the Canadian Press devoted an article to highlighting the challenges faced by stay-at-home Dads — most notably the isolation some fathers have tried to mitigate by establishing Dad’s groups and communities.