Being Dad May Be Tougher These Days,

[Marnie]

Pew Research has come out with this fascinating piece. The whole article, with graphs and all, is right here, so go read the whole thing. Meanwhile here are some excerpts.

A broad consensus holds that it is harder to be a father now than it was 20 or 30 years ago, and on this point men and women agree. Fully 59% of men and 62% of women say today's dads have a tougher time of it. Only 12% of the public says it easier to be a dad today, while roughly a quarter say it's about the same as it was a generation ago. People generally feel the same about motherhood. Seven-in-ten adults say it's harder to be a mom today than it was in the past, and only 11% see it as easier.

Interestingly enough, when it comes to evaluating today's fathers, dads' harshest critics turn out not to be women, but men. For example, on the question of how good a job fathers are doing raising their kids, women actually have a more benevolent view. A majority (56%) of women say today's dads are doing as good a job or a better job raising their kids compared with fathers a generation ago, while four-in-ten say they are doing a worse job. Men, however, take a more critical view: Only 41% of men say today's dads match or better the performance of the dads of the 1970s and '80s, compared with a majority (55%) who say today's dads are doing a worse job.

Fully 72% of married moms who work at least part-time and are raising young children say dads are now doing as good a job or better than their counterparts did a generation ago; only 26% say they're falling short.

Surveys of adult children show that mom, not dad, is the parent that they feel closest to and the person they turn to for advice. In a 2005 Pew Research Center survey, 61% of adults with both parents still living said they have the most contact with their mother. Only 18% said they have the most contact with their father.

In that same survey, respondents were more than twice as likely to say they would turn to their mom in times of crisis (17%) as opposed to their dad (6%). And while 87% said they are close to their mother, fewer (74%) said the same about their relationship with their father. In this regard, dads rank below the family pet: On average, dog and cat owners feel closer to their pets than adult children feel to their fathers.

Still, this may be okay with dads, simply because their relationship with their kids is less central to their own happiness than it is for moms. Many wives might be surprised to know that when asked about the most important aspect of their personal happiness and fulfillment, men are more likely to point to their relationship with their wife than their relationship with their kids. Just the opposite is true for women. They place more value on their relationship with their kids than they do on their relationship with their husband.

That last paragraph says it all, I think. How sad. No wonder so many marriages are so screwed up.

[Guest]

Oh! Oh!

[SueZQ]

My 22 year old daughter adores her dad as she should! He has been a fantastic father and role model. He has never given up on this family even in the toughest of times. He has always held a job, many times working two or three to provide for this family. Years and years I was unable to go to Church and my husband took our daughter to both Sunday and Wednesday services. He went to all her school activities, many times taking off work early to be there. He was the proud dad in the stands watching her play in the band at every football game. He was always a dad to her, not always a friend, and they did and still do debate lol, but I have never seen a father and daughter so close as I witness on a daily basis here.

[undone]

I miss my dad

He passed away several years ago.

I think on this Father's day I'll honor his memory by praising and worshipping my Heavenly Father!