Ah men, are we getting soft? …. Maybe all the Father’s Day key chains and ties and pinch pots made a difference, or maybe it’s the kinder, gentler men on TV this fall that have changed us.
But when asked what prize or honor we would most like to win, a plurality of men say “father of the year” … more than answer Most Valuable Player in a sport, Nobel Peace Prize or Congressional Medal of Honor. Interestingly, “father of the year” trumps all else for men of all ages except:
- young men ages 18-29 who may not have kids yet and would prefer to win a Grammy or to hoist an MVP trophy, and
- senior men ages 65+ who would rather earn the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Now before we get too impressed with our feminine side, let’s note that women are still significantly more likely to aspire to be “parent of the year” than men are. For women, nothing even appears close; Nobel Peace Prize comes in a very distant second.
So what does that mean for us men? Are we turning into pus….pushovers? Or do we finally get what women have known forever: that once we’ve chosen to be a parent, being a great one is about the most important thing we can do.
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