This morning I saw an Instagram post that resonated with me. It was a variation of a thought I’ve had many times since I became a mother: You know what would be a great gig? Being a dad.
This particular post was from a single mother who has one teenage daughter. She said she has considered having another child over the years, but recently went from a “maybe” to a “hard no.” But, she said, she would consider having another kid if she could be the child’s father instead of her mother.
Think about that.
Fathers are just as much parents as mothers are, yet somehow they have less responsibility and more fun. I’m the default parent, and so are all of my female friends.
This morning, for example, my son woke up around 6:30, his usual time, and I got out of bed to change his diaper and feed him milk, like I do about 13 out of 14 mornings, including my birthday and Mother’s Day. My husband said, “I’m going to sleep another hour or so because I’m tired this morning.” I said okay and took care of my son, but I couldn’t help but think: What if I said that to my husband? The answer is that it wouldn’t fly. And that’s not because my husband is selfish, or a jerk, or irresponsible, or lazy, or mean. It’s because he assumes that I’ll take care of the baby and I don’t assume that he’ll take care of the baby.
That’s a societal problem, not a me problem or a my-husband problem. Dads have it easier. My social media friend’s point is well taken.