Book Review: The Daddy Shift
Fellow Dad blogger, Jeremy Adam Smith, recently launched a new book called The Daddy Shift. It covers the trend of men taking on more of the childcare in recent generations both through a historical perspective and an in-depth look at a handful of examples.
The couples profiled are real and Smith does more than introduce us to them. He shares their history, context, struggles and desires for the lives they are tending. The couples are complex with varied motivations and don't fit neatly into any preconceived notions of existing family models.
Beyond the personal stories we also get the long view of how men's views have changed in relation to caregiving. I found the information compelling and thought provoking. I loved the "myths of caregiving fatherhood." Ranging from the myth that Dads opting out of work is a luxury of the educated elites to the myth that the decision for a man to stay home with children is always an economic one.
This book stares down the stereotypes around male nurturing and offers explanations, willing examples, and historical trends to highlight the changes happening all around us. Being among the masses of men who do more childcare than their own fathers, I recognized myself in this book and would recommend it without hesitation. We will be adding The Daddy Shift to our list of resources as a proponent of egalitarian marriages.
Note: For those of you in or around NYC, Jeremy will be leading a discussion along with Amy Richards, author of Opting In, on the shifting roles of fathers at the 92Y Tribeca on June 22nd from 6:30 - 8:00. I wish I could make it myself.
posted by Marc @ 7:20 PM
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(Now if for reasons for health problems that didn't occur that would be another matter, but we are talking about the normal course of events). read more
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