Father’s Jobs, How They Have Evolved

By

Gerry Niskern

During my lifetime Father’s role has changed, and changed again, many times. According to statistics, before l980, 43% of American Fathers had never changed a diaper, and weren’t about to start!

Now, in the past year, for the first time, Huggies have started putting Dad’s picture on the box of Huggies. Think about that. The diaper company was catching up with real life. Dads not only purchased the diapers, they  used them.

You see, actually since WWll young fathers have chosen to try to have closer relationship with their children than they remembered having with their own fathers.

I knew a young father like that. My memories of his early days of becoming a Father are mine alone. My kids have their own memories of their dad during their childhood and the tumultuous teenage years. But they didn’t see the first time Father that I did.

When all of our friends were having their first babies, some were purchasing beautiful baby furniture, including really neat armoires to store their many baby items, and a tiny closet to hang their little dresses.  We couldn’t afford one. Instead, our Dad-to-be, purchased the wood and constructed our baby daughter her own armoire.

When our first born’s umbilical cord stump failed to drop off and continued to bleed a little when caught on a diaper, her Dad sterilized a

razor blade and cut it off; while I stood by pleading, “Be careful, be careful!”

He carried her around whispering words of comfort when the eight month old ran a high fever for several days.  he huddled with me on the kitchen floor one after noon when she finally dozed off, trying to be quiet because our floor squeaked badly. We whispered our greatest fear back then, Polio! Then after two trips back to the doctor, she finally broke out with measles. No parents have been happier to see their baby with measles!

And as each baby came along, he insisted they sit in a high chair at the table with the rest of the family at dinner. He patiently gave them tiny sips of milk from their little silver namesake cups during the meal. Before I knew it they were drinking with spills on their own. No Tippee cups needed.

Then most evenings he would get his screw driver and put back the louvers on the air vents that baby # 2 had loosened with his fingers during the day.

When baby # 3 had a very touchy stomach and many sleepless nights, his dad slept on the floor by his crib in his room so this Mom could get some rest.

That’s the first-time-father that I remember.