Absolutely not! We are men, made to hunt, made from sterner stuff. Ours is the job of protecting, surviving and of course ruling aristocratically. Ask any man. Well, any man not in the company of a woman. You know the answer. It's instinctual.
I may not be politically correct, in fact I'm not political at all; I'm just correct.
Now that I've told it like it is, and sufficiently bolstered my male ego, I'll quickly get to the point before my wife catches me at the computer rather than scrubbing the floors like she told me to do. Sorry dear!
In fact a recent report by the Council on Contemporary Families shows that men are actually getting better at cleaning up after themselves, helping around the house and looking after the kids. While we're not necessarily doing 50% of the household duties or looking after the kids as much as mothers tend to, we are definitely improving and compared to our father's generation, we're down right progressive.
The report suggests that men's contribution to housework has as much as doubled in the past four decades and we have tripled the time we spend on child care in the same period.
Of course, and rather suprisingly, the amount of nagging we endure has not reduced correspondingly. In fact there are many men who would suggest that the nagging has increased. We've shown weakness and the women have moved in for the kill.
It makes you wonder if our fathers actually had it right. Sitting on their ever expanding butts, as meals, snacks, beer and chips are brought forth from the little woman's area. Watching TV as the housework, kids, dog and life goes by around them.
Oh what a life! At least for a day...
But to be honest, I couldn't imagine being one of those old fashioned dads that gets home from work and expects the children clean and quiet, to be seen but not heard, the house tidy and dinner on the table.
I revel in getting down on the floor with my son and playing the games I know he loves, knowing which teddy is his favourite, what each new sound he makes means, anticipating his moods and marvelling at each new accomplishment. Dare I say it, I even enjoy changing him (please don't tell my wife!), because it is more bonding time for dad.
Best of all I love to learn all the wonderful little idiosyncrasies that make him who he is. Our fathers and their fathers before them missed out on some of the true wonders of life; and while I might momentarily envy them the comfy throne, servile wife and the right to be a gruff authoritarian, I wouldn't trade places with them for all the tea in China.
Now about that housework: When you say the floors need to be clean enough to eat off, we're talking about the dog eating off them right?? If so, another job well done!
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