Why we should change the way we think about men and their roles in doing household chores and "taking care" of the kids
What is a dad doing, when he is taking care of his children or preparing dinner and washing the dishes together with his wife?
Often these kinds of activities are mistakenly exchanged as a form of "help", a thought that derives from the traditional patriarchal conceptions that existed within families.
But why even today are we hearing phrases like "My partner helps me at home"? The error is mainly due to a way of thinking and above all speaking.
via theatlantic.com
How many times have you heard the classic phrase "My husband helps me with the housework" or "My companion takes care of the children"?
To hear these phrases again today is an admission of how domestic responsibilities still have a kind of link associated with gender, a thought that apparently has not been abandoned.
Obviously, the mother is the figure to which the child bonds with more during the early stages of motherhood but the figure of the father must be and is equally important.
In this sense, the imagery of the authoritative father in the "classical" and "traditional" concept is still too widespread and it is necessary to let this idea decline and say goodbye to certain patriarchal models.
Household chores are in fact still too often determined by the gender of a person, and it is this that establishes the differences within a society. We must change the way we think and above all, the way we talk about people to put an end to these conceptions.
So the next time you hear someone say "My husband helps me in the kitchen", remind them that it is actually his job. A father must be a present figure who loves and takes care of his family, sometimes even getting his hands dirty by washing dishes or taking care of his children by himself for a few hours.
