I recently read an article called "How Women Started the Culture War," where the writer described from a Christian perspective the change in families, roles, and within the church after the industrial revolution and until today. After describing how men gradually became more absent from the home and women became the head parent figure, she tells the story of her professor saying to her class,"My wife will be out of town this weekend and I don't know how I will handle the kids." The writer asks, "When did it become acceptable for men to admit that they can't handle their own children?"
Today, looking through the Facebook news feed, I saw an update from a man, a pastor, "[name] is wondering if he can survive his 3 year old by himself this weekend." WHAT? I understand that for the most part, this comment is supposed to be humorous and not literal. Of course he can survive it and he's not really doubting it. But there is this acceptable social norm that men do not generally "survive" or "deal with" their children. UGH! It's totally normal and expected for women to know how to deal with children, how to discipline them and so forth, but it's acceptable for men, even religious, godly men to have a hard time being.... DADS!
I'm frustrated.
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