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I Will Be There
After yesterday’s rant on Proctor and Gamble and Kellogg’s, I was thinking about my son and my involvement in his life. I do not care what paths my son chose in life, well to a certain extent. If he chooses to play the harp, I will be there. If he chooses to play baseball, I will be there. If he chooses to be a chimney sweep, I will make him take a shower, but I will be there.
I know that I am not the only dad who feels this way. Most involved fathers, feel like we are fighting an up-hill battle to earn and get respect with advertisers, media, and the general public. You look at one of the latest shows that will be coming out in the fall that NBC is promoting like crazy during the Olympics, Guys with Kids. This show atleast from the promo’s, show dads acting like a fool and a complete idiot. Will I watch, yes, only to give my formal opinion of it after a few episodes to see how frustrated I really am at the show. Shows like this are part of the problem. So many people look at TV and think it is reality, that is far from the truth.
It may be funny to poke fun at dads, but the times are changing. Dads are more involved then ever. I can not count how many times I have had someone look strangely at me or make a comment when I walk out of the family restroom after changing a diaper. I mostly get the “Awww ain’t that cute, dad changed your diaper.” Or when I am out alone with the Kid anywhere (before I took this new job and spent most of my days with the Kid), “aww did daddy take the day off to spend with you?” My response, “I’m a stay at home dad” and generally whomever made the rude comment backed off. What makes it so hard to realize that dads are being involved now?
We are not asking for the world, just a little respect. We know what we are doing and we love to spend time with our kids.
No matter the path my child chooses, I will be there!
© The Rookie Dad
An Olympic Miss
Every two years there is an event that I tune in and watch, the Olympics. I want to know everything that is going on and who is winning every medal and every story line. While this year, I have been unable to keep abreast of everything Olympics due to a dumb rule set in place by NBC saying that only the people with a cable package with MSNBC and CNBC can stream internet Olympic content, that is not the “miss” that I am talking about. I am sure that many of you have seen this commercial during the 2012 London Olympics…
Awesome! Way to go P&G! Support Moms! I am all about the support of moms because quite frankly they have the toughest job in parenting. I was not offended in the beginning, as I had an understanding that moms were their target audience in the ad. They hit their mark, Hot Mama cried when she saw it. But then I saw this…
Who is helping the swimmer? A Mom!
Where are the dads in these ads? Dads are not even shown in the ads at all, not even a glimpse! It is almost like they are non-existent. I am sure that there is some dad somewhere that has taken their future Olympian to practice, or let alone coached their child in their early years. So why leave dads out? Does Proctor and Gamble believe that dads are still the person who comes home from work and sits in his easy chair, drinks a beer, and does not play with their children? I once heard this, “Bob Dylan once wrote, The times, they are a-changin.” Maybe Proctor and Gamble or Kellogg’s have never heard that song.
I am not saying that moms should have been left out. But what P&G could have done is said “Proud Supporter of Parents” and you do not leave out the other crucial component to any mom, a strong and support dad. Parenting involves two people a mom and a dad. Without one the other can not function to its full potential.
To give credit where it is due, I will give NBC a thumbs up for showing families of Olympians and showing the dads. Maybe they do not have a choice as most of the dads and moms are sitting together during the events. But it is the one thing I will give NBC credit for during these Olympic games… the only thing.
