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There is a stigma that goes along with being a Dad All Day. Some people equate it to being a mall cop, there just has to be a back-story that lead you down this dark path to not being the breadwinner.
I was in the store last week and a woman made a comment on “how nice it is to see a father taking the time to shop for the family.”
I am proud of the fact that I have the ability to spend time with my kids while my wife does what she loves. We have a balance that works, keeps food on the table and everyone happy.
However.
Being a DAD can be a little lonely. Finding other DAD’s to hang out with isn’t as easy as it seems. Women are much better at being social with each other than men. While I am out with the kids, I will hear women strike up conversations with other women about just about anything: their clothes, their kids, shoes, something in the shopping cart. You name the topic…they are masters at it.
Guys, not so much. Whether we are in the store, the park or the mall and you see another guy whose kid could be wearing the exact clothes as your kid with the same names as your kids playing in the same park and it’s still weird to start a conversation.
OK, maybe it feels a little “awkward.” I have had this conversation with several dad’s and that’s generally the response. It feels like a “pick up line.” “Hey, I’m Greg. I like your son’s shoes. We should have lunch.” Never. Not. Creepy.
When most people see a dad with kids at the store, mall, etc., they think, “vacation, day off, sick day, mom’s at the spa, cool uncle,” you get the idea. The last thing you want to try and do is pick up a guy who got off work early for a play date.
We need a Dad All Day international signal to let other DAD’s know that you are in fact a DAD and you should be friends, or at least talk. Kind of like the “toe tap at the DC Airport bathroom,” just not as dirty. Some easy to identify gesture that lets each other know “it’s cool. I too shower at 3:30PM right before my wife gets home. I am a DAD.”
The DAD fraternity handshake, a hand signal, salute? Something!
The street gangs took all the cool hand signals, however, according to Google images (as much as I researched) the sign language hand gesture for the letter D is pretty cool and easy to do. You hold up your first finger, your third finger curls to touch your thumb, and your last two fingers curl towards the thumb (look at the picture above).
That for now is the International Signal for all stay at home dads or Dad’s All Day. Gentlemen it is up to you to start using the DAD signal in the grocery store, at the park, in the mall and wherever you see fit.
If we stick to this, I can see a world of man-on-man good times, full of kids stories, recipes and the occasional malted beverage.
Lonely no more, let the DAD bonding begin!
BTW–If you have a better signal let me know. We are still in the DAD R&D phase.
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