What do dads really want this Father’s Day?
I had the pleasure of being on a panel with Leyla and a few other mum bloggers and influencers recently as part of the BBC’s look at children returning to school. Even though some potential impact is still shrouded in mystery, we certainly had a lot to reflect on.
One of the biggest reflections was that a lot of these changes might be longer-term than first imagined. Social distancing at school, and potentially more home and online schooling. At a time where the balance for parents at home has been far from ideal, it led to an even bigger thought– what does all of this mean for the future of family routines?
In the run-up to Father’s Day, I wonder if, along with a Fathers’ Day card, for modern-day dads in particular, this is the moment to drive the sort of change that will positively affect a new routine?
Creating the right work-life balance for dads
Over the last few years, we’ve seen a generational shift for dads at home. The results of our own study, The Millennial Dad at Work, showed that 87% of us are now actively involved in the day-to-day parenting, with nearly 6 in 10 claiming to be fully equalised across all day to day parental tasks.
However, the world of work has been much slower to adapt to this change. With a lot of workplace culture still treating dads as if ‘they should just be at work’ it can feel like we’re living in a different time – which is probably not helped by more traditional beliefs, by older parents perhaps, and thinking ‘that’s just the way it has always been around here.’
If ever COVID has shown us one thing – it’s that large scale change is possible, and perhaps, even more so, is vital to reflect on what truly matters.
For dads wanting to shift the way they work for their futures, I offer 3 things to think about.
The importance of having the conversation
In our Millennial Dad at Work report, we found that 1/3 of all dads we surveyed had left their jobs since becoming a dad to find that right parental balance for them.
It’s clear that more and more dads are striving for a new type of work/life balance, but men, in general, find it tricky to be truly vulnerable at work, which stops them sometimes from even having the conversation in the first place.
It’s vital that, first, dads feel comfortable to speak with their partners – what is their vision of work/life balance success? What’s getting in the way (yes, money is always one, but what else?). After that discussion, the conversation with work should be a lot clearer too.
Measure your success
Flexible working is one area I believe will change greatly for dads, but it’s important when applying for it, that dads are measuring the success of what they’ve been able to achieve by working remotely or flexibly before.
Ultimately, those of us who work for commercially focussed organisations need to show how we can be more of an asset in any new routine.
Find your allies / key learnings
Who else do you know that’s been through what you’re trying to get? Are they in your organisation? If not, can you talk to them and found out how they did it. It’s interesting that a lot of the top dad authors of new dad books also talk about allies and community – albeit for home. Now is our time to find the same for work.
A wave of change is coming, and for modern-day dads, there has never been a better time to unite, talk to your partner, and go for the life balance that equates to real success in your world.
I wish you all the best.
