Whaddaya want, a medal?

So it's Father's Day again. I've already done my requisite perusal of everyone's daddy issues shit over on PostSecret and in the last week and a half I've seen about a hundred commercial about "dad" and how "dad" wants you to go to Home Depot and Lowe's and buy him some sort of massive power tool or a Dodge dealer and buy a pickup truck even though: a) he would probably cut his foot off if he actually used that saw, and b) Chrysler is bankrupt.

I'd say that dads don't get a fair shake in the grand scheme of parenting holidays, commercials, etc. ... but that's complete bullshit because there are just as many annoying "mom" commercials and other images out there, plus moms have to overcome the image of Kate Gosselin and her reverse mullet (seriously, what the fuck is up with that thing and why are women actually copying it? Amanda has related to me at least a few stories of how a hairdresser talked a woman out of getting "the Kate." Good for those hairdressers because "the Kate" looks like some of the late 1980s "skate-rad" [seriously, this is what how they referred to themselves] cuts that guys were getting when I was in the sixth grade). I mean, she makes Joan Crawford look like Queen Hippolyta, so we definitely don't have it easy.

I did find a funny piece over on Babble, "Daddy Doesn't Babysit," in which the writer wonders why people feel the need to comment on how much of an achievement it is when dad has the kids and is *gasp* capabale of taking care of them ...

Calling my husband a babysitter is insulting. He doesn't get paid. He doesn't spend time with our daughter because he's required to or because it's going to get him something (money, sex, whatever). He spends time with our daughter because he is her father, and he kinda, sorta, really likes her. Isn't that why men become fathers? Because they want children?

The comments from women on a recent Strollerderby post about the Daddy-babysitting issue poured in. One woman recounted the story of a kindly seatmate tapping her on the shoulder on a plane to tell her how "lucky" she was because her husband helped give their child a bottle. "Clearly, he deserves a nomination for Man of the Year, because those are the little woman's jobs, and any man who does them
is worthy of a ticker-tape parade," she said.

I never understood why it seems like it's some sort of feat to actually be a parent when you're a father. It's kind of what you're supposed to do, right? I do find it funny when I come across that sentiment; for instance, about a month ago, I was flying solo for the better part of a week because Amanda was away on business and a friend made of those "can you handle this" comments (I think the phrase "Mr. Mom" was in there at some point). Since I've done this a number of times already, my response was like, "Uh ... all right, I guess." I mean, Brett had a little too much tequila, but doesn't that happen to everyone?

Look, real men aren't looking for some sort of praise or recognition. Men who insist on being recognized for simply doing parental duties are douchebags. If anything, real men want what every parent wants from their kids: more time to sleep.