We're doing what comes naturally: loyal reader Evan just sent me a most wonderful New Scientist article on how men are actually hard-wired to be caregivers. (The story is behind a subscription wall. Sorry.) It's a neat way to think of things: that though the past few thousand years have built up a stereotype of man-as-provider, we are actually far more inclined to co-parent than one might suggest.
Central in the article's evidence is that men undergo massive hormone changes around childbirth, suggesting that the event has been tremendously important in evolutionary history. This isn't a new point -- Yale's Kyle Pruett, At-Home Dad Convention superstar, loves talking about it -- but it is worth repeating.
Quick Desperate Housewives Over-Analysis: Tom Scavo, our new at-home dad, is a disaster when it comes to housecleaning. And this doesn't bother me much. For some reason, I don't have a problem with men being portrayed as slobs, as long as they're shown to capable parents. This reflects my own biases. I consider myself a decent parent, but I am, without a doubt, a recovering slob. I'll keep an eye on the subplot -- I imagine the writers can't resist the temptation to go the tired overwhelmed-and-outmatched-newbie-dad route -- but so far, they're failing to get my dander up.
Central in the article's evidence is that men undergo massive hormone changes around childbirth, suggesting that the event has been tremendously important in evolutionary history. This isn't a new point -- Yale's Kyle Pruett, At-Home Dad Convention superstar, loves talking about it -- but it is worth repeating.
Quick Desperate Housewives Over-Analysis: Tom Scavo, our new at-home dad, is a disaster when it comes to housecleaning. And this doesn't bother me much. For some reason, I don't have a problem with men being portrayed as slobs, as long as they're shown to capable parents. This reflects my own biases. I consider myself a decent parent, but I am, without a doubt, a recovering slob. I'll keep an eye on the subplot -- I imagine the writers can't resist the temptation to go the tired overwhelmed-and-outmatched-newbie-dad route -- but so far, they're failing to get my dander up.
posted by Rebel Dad at
5:36 AM
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