To this dad?s delight, anger at the so-called ?daddy-proof? onesie went viral yesterday. For those who didn?t see it, the photograph shows a pink onesie?originally posted by an irate father on Reddit?that includes arrows with directions for where to stick your baby?s arms and head. You could say the item is like a bad ?dad joke,? but it?s even worse than that?and not just because it?s outdated and less funny. Its underlying purpose is to reinforce the stereotype of the ignorant, uninvolved father at a time when we need to continue making progress breaking free of that. And sadly, that tired dumb dad gag sold by kids? retailer Sara Kety is not the first time I?ve been hit over the head with that hoary message.
When my wife was pregnant with our now three-year-old son, one expectant parent book she received at her baby shower included sidebars addressed to men at the end of each chapter. At the time, the implication that I only needed to read this one section made me laugh, but it also made me mad?I needed to learn about caring for my infant just as much as my wife did, and not just the Cliff note version. I can admit it?s still true women in heterosexual partnerships take on more of the child-rearing duties. And I?ll also admit that the author of that parenting book did in fact accurately estimate how much of that book I?d actually read. But that?s not the point?I?ve worked to improve the balance in my household, even spending two days a week at home with my son during his s...