Comments on: Dads Don’t Babysit

By: Matt Schneider

Matt Schneider — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:36:19 +0000

Interesting point . . . that is the Census Bureau’s response. Dr. Mike Bonner just posted a critique to that assertion on the Daddyshome website: “The critique by Motherlode, and here, is not about parenting definitions. It is a criticism of the statistical assumption that Mothers are “designated parents” and Fathers are “child care providers” for the purpose of understanding the family decisions regarding child care arrangements. To argue that changing this characterization is outside the scope of the survey’s intent is to entirely miss an opportunity to do exactly what the survey is supposed to: help our country (its citizens and policy makers) understand the dynamics of child care use in modern society.”

Read the rest of his post here: http://daddyshome.org/blog/?p=1661

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:53:36 +0000

From what I understand, SIPP is a survey primarily about the economy and not a parenting survey. For a real understanding of the role of both mom and dad in the household, you really should be looking at the American Time Use Survey. Understanding the child care arrangements that working mothers select is also an important issue and it seems like we really need multiple surveys, studies to understand the changing nature of work and family.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:13:10 +0000

Don't children see themselves as having two parents (whether those parents follow through well on the job or not)? The biology, including the genetics, work that way I believe. :)

I don't think this is just a change from the 1950s. I think this is something children have needed all along.

By: ND

ND — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:59:43 +0000

I agree with this. You may want to pitch it as not just a SAHD issue, but an issue for any family that considers itself a two-parent family.

Also, I don't think this is a new issue, but one that has lurked subconsciously for generations. The archetypal female status of primary parent (which offers both privilege and victimization) may be the root of most of the conflicts and problems in the world. In other words, this is not a new need for shared parenting that was discovered in the 1950s but one that has lurked subconsciously for generations, maybe ever since we evolved from primates. And many dads have been involved in previous generations, even if they had to be more discreet about it because of "masculinity policing".

One typo in the third paragraph "oversight" instead of "oversite".

By: Don Unger

Don Unger — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:48:31 +0000

I’m generally quick to take offense, but let’s turn this upside down. The Census Bureau is something between encouraging and forcing both men and women who have a stake in shared parenting of whatever variety to fight to be seen, heard, counted, and accurately represented. If this brings more people out, it’s a good thing.