Super Dad |
When I was a little girl, my dad changed my diapers, fed me (even in the middle of the night), got me ready for school, made sure I took my Flinstone vitamins, helped me with my homework and class projects and once, he even made a mini-me doll from scratch for me. She looked exactly like me. Kind of.
Fast forward to today. My husband is eagerly stepping into his role as a ‘daddy.’ And what I’m realizing in the process is that one should never underestimate the role a father plays. Perhaps, a long time ago, people perceived dads to be the person who brings home the ‘bacon’ and moms to be the one to raise the children. But with education and social progression, these outdated stereotypes have gone out the window. The distinctions between mom and dad are slowly fading. And it’s beautiful. No longer is it Mommy versus Daddy. Mommy and Daddy are becoming synonymous. I’m glad to see so many fathers doing just as much as moms nowadays if not more for their children. In certain cultures or places, people may scoff at the men who do dishes, cook, and change diapers. But I think it takes a real man to step up to do whatever it takes to provide for his family – even if it means doing nighttime feeds for baby on a work night. Super Dads have always existed. But we’re noticing them more now. I see them at the library during Baby Storytime. I see them at Toddler Gym Classes. I see them at parks teaching their kids how to ride a bike. Some are stay-at-home dads and some are working dads. I get so happy when I see them because they remind me of my dad who was juggling being a new dentist while taking care of me in my baby-days/nights. They remind me of my husband who cherishes every chance he gets to spend with our daughter, to the point that he comes home for lunch during his work days just to squeeze in those extra minutes with family. Dads, you are amazing. And you make a difference. There’s a saying – “Be the type of man you would want your daughter to be with.” Because of the example my dad set for me, I was able to land a man I am thankful to call my husband and the father of our child. Dads, you are role models to your children. When my dad helped my mom at home, I saw them tackling everything from cooking to yard work together as a team… he was showing me gender equality. He was teaching me what respect looks like. He was teaching me about love. We had a family friend over recently. She’s an older generation mom and she saw my husband washing the dishes while I was taking care of our 1-year old. She told me she had a lot of resentment because her husband didn’t help much with the home or her daughter. It makes me sad to think some dads might miss out on one of the most out-of-this-world experiences one can have. Dads, you can set the bar high. Maybe your dad couldn’t be as involved with raising you but don’t let that stop you from being the Super Dad that you are. I didn’t fully understand the role my father played in raising me until I became a parent myself. It makes me so thankful and appreciative of all dads everywhere…moms do a lot, but let’s never discount our dads! Every dad has a Super Dad inside of him…and amazing things happen when he lets that side out |
Arti Nehru is a California native. She has a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She received her Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley where she completed a major in Mass Communications and minor in English.
Arti dabbled with her first major print and broadcast reporting assignments while she was in graduate school in Chicago. This included exploring life on Capitol Hill while being a Washington D.C. Correspondent for 7 CBS affiliates in Montana. Arti has also reported for KEYT-TV (ABC) in Santa Barbara where she was an On-Air general assignment reporter covering multiple stories on a daily basis for the evening newscasts. In her free time, Arti loves to travel, volunteer, write in her journal, and spend time with her family. Her favorite hobbies are reading and mentoring children. |