Devoted Dad
Devoted dad and son!
Equality
Matters
As a social worker, I have had mothers and fathers both tell me that men aren’t the best parents. If you consider the fact that people aren’t born with these beliefs you have to wonder where they come from. We teach men and women to belief they can never be equal. As long as this belief is alive, women will have a hard time getting Equal Rights and men will have a hard time being considered a good parent.
We have to change the way we think. Proctor & Gamble has run an advertising campaign during the Olympics, “Proud Sponsor Of Moms.” Sadly they don’t show dads as being supportive of the athletes. I am not mad at Proctor & Gamble for making it seem like fathers are not involved. I am not even surprised about it. According to many thing I have seen in the media, I am a “bumbling idiot” that doesn’t know how to change a diaper.
I do know that if we want our children to grow up and feel equality we have to not only teach them but show them. We don’t have to accept what we are shown on television as a truth. We can teach our daughters and sons that equality is good and we have don’t to accept inequality in advertising.
The only reason dad is not in the picture is because he’s taking it!
Devoted
Dad
I am a devoted dad and want to always be known as one. Unfortunately, many advertisements promote gender stereotypes and portray fathers as not present or disinterested. Advertising is just part of a bigger social problem that we have come to accept on inequality. We have to remember that biases do not come from just television. We can see them in print, in schools, at events and online. We are promoting 1950 ideas to our children that dad’s are not interested in their children and moms change all the diapers.
5 Things advertising seems to miss about being a devoted dads
- A devoted dad is a person that understands their children are going to make mistakes. We can accept this and not berate them. We can give them guidance and love because they are our children and they are human.
- A devoted dad will get up at 4 am in the morning to make sure their child is ready for practice, school or car pooling.
- A devoted dad will change diapers, give TLC and never criticize for a bad father’s day gift.
- We are there for special occasions, holidays, graduations, first dates, last dates, sporting events and everything in between if possible.
- As a dad we might make mistakes, we might forget things, we might make true blunders but when we do we know we are wrong. We teach our children that being a dad means we are human. Once we have recognized whatever we have done we say we are sorry and we will work harder at being a more devoted dad.
I could say more about what makes a man a great father. I could tell you about not sleeping because you hear a noise or worrying because your child is sick. The point I am making is all men could become great fathers if given chances. We just need to convince the media that they need to give us a chance too.
More devoted dads
I am not the only parent that feels Proctor & Gamble has missed the boat with their most recent advertising campaign
Come on, P&G–Where Are the Dads? – Mr. Dad
Should Dads Be Mad At Procter & Gamble For Sponsoring Moms? – The Real Matt Daddy
P&G, Procter and Gamble, Largely IGNORE Dads in Their Olympics Commercials – Bruce Sallan
I am also writing for the A to Z +1 August blogging challenge and today is “D” for Devoted Dad
Tags: advertising campaign, biases, daughters and sons, gender stereotypes, mothers and fathers, olympics
14 Comments
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Perhaps the big advertising firms need reminding that they can cast men in the traditional female roles and vice versa when pitching to their clients. No quicker way of getting a message over than to have it on an advert on TV,
You would think so David. I know that P&G response to dad was that they gave us a razor commercial to place us in the spotlight. I thought that it was very generous of them to give us something we have to buy….lol
True. What a shame they didn’t give the razor commercial to a woman and perhaps one for a waxing strip for us. Ouch !
NO ONE can tell you that you are NOT a devoted dad…you know it, I know it, your kids know it! Maybe sometime Madison Ave will “get it” too – thankfully, there’s been one company – General Electric – that got it great with their “incubator” commercial. P&G will catch up – if only to make money!
I know it and you know it but with people on Madison avenue and in many other places of influence until they change their marketing ideas it is very hard to convince the public. In my opinion that is where the true problem lies. They are fed so many negative images it is very hard to overcome what they believe. It even gives the false belief to young children that dads aren’t going to be involved so why bother.
Aaron
WE will make a difference…keep it up Aaron!
That’s my belief too Bruce! We will make a difference one person at a time.
Aaron
Great points here! My twenty something daughter commented on the P&G commercials, “Why do they only talk about the moms?!” I had a sarcastic reply, “Because they are the ones who really count.” Bad me. She & I both know better. My husband was the parent who was home to raise her, since he was forced to retire with a disability. I just found your blog. Love it!
Pam,
Thanks so much for the wonderful comments. I keep hoping that P&G might get the message but I am not holding my breath. Fatherhood is very important to me and helping to tell people how truly valuable it is. The more father’s are involved in a child’s life the more they will have the opportunity to succeed in life. It truly takes a village to raise a child and I want our children to be successful in all aspects of their lives including knowing equality for all. My wife and I work very hard to show this to our son.
Aaron
I have long wondered how American dads can live with being portrayed as they are on TV. I know plenty of men who are great parents and husbands and all-around human beings, but apparently that’s not cool or funny.
Or maybe advertisers think that we women see you as idiots and they’re winking at us, since they have just recently noticed we spend a lot of a household’s money. Well, they can stop. They don’t promote strong families by encouraging women to whinge about their partners’s every/momentary flaw and kids to disrespect their dads’ amazing abilities. And we want strong families. /rant.
I couldn’t agree more! Advertisers definitely seem to be missing the bigger picture that fathers matter. I just try to advocate for men to be the best father’s possible overall. Advertising/television plays a big role on how we are represented.
Aaron
As a hands on father I find your blog quite true and refreshing.
Thank you Ben!
I have a degree in Social Work and use to investigate child abuse. I am now a stay-at-home dad that advocates for fatherhood. I know how important strong male role models are to children. Children that have fathers in in their lives will do better academically, socially, emotionally and physically than a child that doesn’t (I am not saying a child that doesn’t can’t do just as well they just have to work harder)
I like to blog about humor, advocacy and parenting tips. I try to use all that I have learned and that I have seen in my life to help others. A few people ask me why I choose the name dadblunders….my tag line explains that….All of us in life have made some real blunders….it’s what we do with them that counts!!!
Aaron