Wednesday, May 18, 2005

One month from today, we'll celebrate Father's Day. And nowhere will Father's Day get more attention than in the media. Almost every media outlet in every corner of this great land will send a reporter forth to get a new, fresh story on today's dads. But as it turns out, a lot of these new, fresh stories aren't all that interesting to me, who reads about fatherhood all year long.

So as a service -- and with copious reader input -- here are the Top Ten Father's Day Assignments of 2005:

1. The New Working Dad: There are more and more guys who are making family their top priority, even as they continue to work. Fathers are taking some flex time, and some -- like RD reader Bill -- are changing careers altogether.

2. Dad as Domestic: Reader Jen suggested a story on how fathers are doing more of the household tasks: the cooking, the birthday-gift-buying, the cleaning. So kudos to any reporter who can document the trend -- or show that Madison Avenue is beginning to take men seriously when it comes to household tasks.

3. The Great FMLA Debate: What better peg for Father's Day than to talk about expanding leave for parents. Check out this state-by-state report on leave policies. Is your state failing?

4. Paternity Leave: The big consulting firms say their paternity leave policies are increasingly popular. Are local employers in your area giving paid paternity leave? And how much happier are those employees?

5. Hubba Hubba Hubbies: Dads who are handy around the house have more sex. I really don't think it's possible to talk about this story enough. (Thanks to Hogan for the reminder.)

6. Back to School: There is a slow growth of hospital-based new father programs. I'd like to see an overview of those that goes beyond a profile of a single class to look at the ways men are becoming more involved around (and after) birth. Any hospitals in your area offering new dad classes?

7. The Revolution is Being Podcast: Looking for a tech angle to father's day that doesn't involved flogging the dead horse of blogging? Profile some podcasting fathers. Exhibit A is current media darling Dan Klass from The Bitterest Pill. Or take a look at the iPodder.org family node, which I maintain, for others.

8. Shaking Hands, Kissing Babies: What's up with the wonderful (if politically DOA) parenting bills in Congress? Kennedy's "Healthy Families Act"? Woosley's "Balancing Act?" What better excuse for taking about progressive pro-family policies than Father's Day?

9. Media Glare: Bonus points to any reporter who points out that fathers portrayed on TV seem to be more and more divorced from modern fatherhood. From Ray Romano to the husbands of the Desperate Housewives to the rotating dads on Nanny 911 and Supernanny, it would appear that fathers today are more distant and less present than ever before. That, of course, is the opposite of the truth.

10. Don't Forget Mom: Stay-at-home dads get a lot of attention every year on Father's Day, but I'd like to ask the mom gets included in all those stories. The wives of stay-at-home men play a hugely important role in their families, and I don't want to see them disappear when the stories get written.
Media: want additional suggestions? Dads to talk to? E-mail me at rebeldad@gmail.com and I'll set you in the right direction.

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