In the business world there is a social concept of the glass ceiling. The glass ceiling usually refers to women struggling to crack into the upper echelons of corporate management due to male discrimination based on gender.
On the flipside, I am a man and I think I have experienced a glass ceiling for males. This glass ceiling for males is not being taken seriously as a caregiver for toddlers and infants. I am currently a stay at home dad who is actively parenting a toddler and infant.
It seems like no matter what I do, some women who don’t know me don’t take me seriously being able to care for my children. When I am out with one of the kids without my wife, the looks I get from women seem to say “Oh how cute! He must be giving his wife a much needed break.” While this may be true, I still don’t feel like I get credit for being able to take care of a child without the help of the mother.
Let me give you an example. Our youngest was in the NICU after birth for because she was born prematurely and my wife was on bed rest for a couple of months in the hospital prior to giving birth. I had a nurse that knew my wife had been hospitalized for a couple of months and that we had a toddler at home that I had been taking care of by myself. When I came in to take shift caring for our newborn, she looked at me and asked if I could handle it and if I had ever changed a diaper before.
So for all the dads out there who have felt this glass ceiling, let’s raise awareness of the male glass ceiling and get the credit for the job we do as parents. Ok, let’s not take it too seriously…
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