Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood

   “Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood” by David Osborne was about some of the author’s experiences of being a father and the primary caregiver for his son, Nicholas. Osborne is a writer and his wife, Rose, is a nurse who works around 100 hours a week giving her little time to take care of Nick. David Osbourne began to be able to identify much more with women, particularly mothers, after spending so much time taking care of Nick, and even questioned his own security with his masculinity. 

   This reading reminded me a lot of the family of one of my best friends. The first time I met her mom, she was picking us up from cheerleading practice. She spent most of the ride home on the phone with various people from her job (or jobs, as I later learned there was more than one) planning events, making appointments, and pitching ideas. I later asked my friend what her mom did for a living, because I was curious after the long ride home. She told me that her mom had multiple jobs. She was an event planner at a sports complex, a secretary at a local community college, and manager of a senior center. Not to mention that she sold real estate on the side. 

   I was amazed by her mom’s clear ambition and time management skills, and I only became more impressed when I later learned that she had a one and a half year old brother. I couldn’t imagine how her mom could juggle so many jobs and still care for a young child. But then, I met her father. He had a part time job as a photographer and he was the one who packed lunches, did laundry, cooked, cleaned, and took care of my friend’s brother. I felt so dumb to have never thought that a father could be the person in a family who takes care of the children as well as all of the household duties. Experiencing how her family worked really opened my eyes to how different families could be, and made me look at gender roles in a new way.