A new survey by The Baby Show has found that seven out of ten dads want to spend more time with their children.
As part of the survey, dads of all ages were invited to share words of wisdom for other dads-to-be, ranging from deep reflections, such as “get to know and enjoy your baby for who he or she is and not what you expect them to be”, to practical tips like “allow an hour and a half to prepare to leave the house each time”.
The tips were offered alongside a series of great photos of dads with their kid which cast a spotlight on the ever-changing role of a father. All of the fathers photographed said that the attitude and expectations of dads have changed compared to those of previous generations.
Michelle Kyles, Marketing Manager at The Baby Show said: “Since the show launched 13 years ago, the roles of dads continue to evolve, and as one dad said, ‘the modern man does it all’. These pictures celebrate this. The answers we received from dads about how they felt about their new-borns were incredibly moving; giving us a tiny window into the unconditional love shared between them”.
One of the common themes that emerged in the survey was just how much fatherhood has changed in recent decades. One dad, Amit Kumar Mehta, said:
“Dads are expected to be a lot more hands-on compared to previous generations. With the likes of David Beckham and Brad Pitt leading the way, dads are expected not only to be the providers but also nurturers which I don’t think was the case in the past”.
However, despite the changing nature of fatherhood, many of the men were keen to praise their own fathers. One dad, James Robinson, said “If I turn out to be half the dad mine was to me, I’d consider myself lucky”. Another dad, Ben Kirkham, said: “My dad was my hero and I hope I am even a fraction of the man he was”.
The key finding of the survey was the fact that the majority of dads interviewed (72%) say they wish they could spend more time with their children.
For more findings from the survey see:
The Baby Show takes place in London from 20-22 February, 2015
In the run up to launch of the film Down Dog on 13 February, insideMAN is running a series of articles about fatherhood and we’d love you to get involved. You can join the conversation on twitter by using the hashtag #MenBehavingDADly; leave a comment in the section below or email us with your thoughts and ideas for articles to insideMANeditor@gmail.com.
For more information about the film see www.downdogfilm.com