My wife and I have fun debates on who is the better parent. In this post I will be explaining why dads really are better than moms.
Dads report more joy during time with their children which makes them better. This directly correlates with the types of activities dads choose, the inclusion of other adults, and other daily life factors. Every family is different, however, both parents do in fact have an important role.
As dads we work hard and play even harder which helps when it comes to our families and especially our children. Let’s explore what makes us, well, us, and help in understanding why dads reign supreme.
Why Are Dads Better?
Based on recent research How Parents Fare: Mothers’ and Fathers’ Subjective Well-Being in Time with Children fathers may actually be better than mothers at being happy during time with the children.
The research indicates that dads are definitely happier, less stressed, and less fatigued than mothers. There are several factors that contribute to this that we will now explore.
Dads LOVE Doing Fun Stuff!
As I stated earlier dads work hard and play even harder. We are not afraid to roll up our sleeves and have a good Thumb war. We do not shy away from picking our favorite team and kicking our kids’ butts in Madden NFL when they even think so much as to hint that they are going to beat us.
We don’t give it a second thought when the opportunity presents itself for us to beat all the kids in the neighborhood at a game of basketball. We simply love having fun!
Dads Go With The Flow
Dads ensure execution of the “important tasks” and do not spend too much time worrying about the minute. We do the best that we can and take everything else as it comes at us. Because we are not often worried about perfection when it comes to the children we are better equipped to handle the curve balls that life often throws our way.
Dads Are Transparent
Though we as men sometimes have trouble expressing our emotions verbally, we are very transparent when something has upset us. If the children have done something that was unwarranted we let them know of their mistakes, coach them on their future, and move on. We do not waste any extra emotion.
Dads Are Efficient
We are great at staying on task, for the most part. When it comes to shopping we are great at heading into the store for 5 items and leaving the store with 5 items, plus our favorite candy bar that we couldn’t resist at the register.
If we decide to get mom diamond ear rings for our anniversary we will go into a store that we know has the quality of ear rings that mom desires and not leave until we have made a purchase. We will seldom go from store to store unless we are looking for something extremely specific.
Dads Babysit as a Team
The research states that dads include other adults in their interactions with their children when possible which aids with their happiness. This hits home for me as I always seek company from other dads if our wives are out together. This creates great play date opportunities as well as time for me to catch up with the guys.
Having a support system with other dads is important because we often experience similar struggles and are able to help each other through tough times because we have been there before.
I also often visit my mother when its just my son and I so that their relationship stays strong. This is important for obvious reasons as well as the fact that I want him to associate going to grandma’s house as a fun adventure and not a trigger of separation anxiety as she often keeps him during date night for the wife and I.
Creating various positive experiences surrounding interaction with our children aids in a dads happiness and also in the happiness of the children which we parent.
Dads Take Naps and Watch Sports
As funny as it may seem that dads fall asleep on the couch this may actually aid in dads overall happiness while with the kids. The research states that the quality of sleep and leisure impacts a parents overall happiness and those short naps that dad takes when he knows that everyone and everything is taken care of just may be his secret weapon.
These naps help dad stay refreshed and rejuvenated for play time with kids. They also help dad reset from his day and focus on home and not things outside the home like work etc.
Sports, man caves, and just a bit of personal time after the kids are asleep help with the leisure that both parents so desperately need to maintain their individual happiness. Remember that the next time you take that picture of dad and the baby asleep with the ballgame watching them.
Dads Understand That Moms Are Important
Though this entire post speaks on the fact that dads are better than moms, the reality is that both mom and dad are important to the family. Every family has a different structure and a different dynamic but as long as everyone actively participates then the children benefit.
Moms are so important in fact that research in the mid to late 20th century did not include a family systems perspective on fathers as outlined in the 2019 research Introduction: bringing dads back into the family.
There are several reasons that dads were omitted from research during this period that we will cover in later blog posts but the main takeaway is that moms serve a very important role as do dads.
I hope this post was helpful and I hope it gives you a bit of a leg up on “the competition” during your next friendly debate. I encourage you to browse Millenni-Dad for more helpful content made just for dads.