Dads who contribute more to household chores are more likely to raise daughters who go on to have less traditional (and potentially higher-paying) careers as adults, according to this article in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Simply put: The more helpful dad is around the house, the more moola his daughter is likely to make down the line.
The saying, “Actions speak louder than words,” seems to ring true in this study of 326 children (ages 7-13) and at least one of their parents. Even when fathers verbally supported gender equality, if they kept a traditional division of labor within the home, their daughters were more likely to see themselves in careers dominated by women — nurses, librarians, teachers or a stay-at-home-moms.
“’Talking the talk’ about equality is important, but our findings suggest that it is crucial that dads ‘walk the walk’ as well — because their daughters clearly are watching,” says psychology researcher and study author Alyssa Croft, who is a PhD Candidate in the University of British Columbia’s Department of Psychology.
The article gets a tad more demeaning from there, not to say the bulk of males in our society haven’t earned it. Still our household doesn’t play by any gender rolls. My wife is the primary bread winner, and my career has taken the back burner to raising our daughter. Since my wife works long hours, and I’m home for five days a week I do a LOT of chores. Plus I LIKE doing dishes and laundry. I don’t much care for yard work and taking out the garbage…but the princess won’t do it, so somebody has to!
Well if this all amounts to my little girl making a mint and putting me in a nice home with hot nurses, AWESOME!
H/T Mrs. Weer’d
The best bumper sticker I’ve ever owned, I got from a “new dad” class a few months before my daughter was born.
It reads, “Men who change diapers change the world.”
Can I get an “Amen”? 🙂