'Dad's Don't Babysit' T-Shirt Sparks Debate on Social Media

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There is nothing sexier than a man who takes care of and adores his children. There seems to be a growing trend of stay-at-home dads in the nation and abroad. A dad in the United Kingdom, Al Ferguson, posted a photo of himself on social media wearing a shirt that reads, “Dads Don’t Babysit. It’s Called Parenting.”

Ferguson, who is the founder and editor of The Dad Network, a UK-based support group for stay-at-home dads, said he wore the shirt to spread awareness for “parental equality.”

Ferguson said, “I bought the shirt, really, because it is appropriate to the message that we as an organization aim to promote, but also to support the At-Home Dad Network. I think it’s a fun way of communicating a wider issue about parental equality that society is still getting to grips with.”

The posting of the photo, which has since gone viral, seems to have sparked a strong debate on social media, with other dads sharing their own personal stories of feeling insignificant.

One dad wrote, “As a stay at home dad myself this stuff can really hurt. I get it the most from my family.”

Another wrote, “People at work say to me all the time, ‘So you have to watch your kids lol.’ No I don’t HAVE to, I GET to be around them.”

Some women just don’t understand how a mom could leave her children with their father. One mother lamented about her ordeal, saying with sarcasm, “Someone was furious at me when I ‘left’ the baby ‘home alone’ with his dad. Surely the 40-year-old dad is incapable of looking after his child.”

This certainly challenges the more traditional roles of the family dynamics, but dads certainly bring a tremendous amount to the table and are equally important to a child’s development. If it is a better economical choice to have dad at home and mom working, then families should be able to make that thoughtful decision. I say bravo to any man willing to step up for the good of his family and take over diaper duty!

How do you feel about dads who stay at home? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts!

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You can follow The Dad Network on Twitter at @TheDadNetworkUK.

Purchase a “Dads Don’t Babysit” t-shirt from the National At-Home Dad Network. Follow them on Twitter at @homedadnet for great tips and information for stay-at-home dads!