SUNDAY MAIL JOURNALIST
18-08-2006, 17:09
My name is Kate Patterson and I am a journalist from The Sunday Mail. I've been asked by the editor to localise this article (below) which will appear in our sister paper The Sunday Telegraph on Sunday. Could anyone at late notice offer their husband/partner as a good example of a modern dad. It would involve a ten minute phone interview tomorrow (Sat Aug 19) and a quick photograph of him and his child/children also taken on Saturday. Please get in contact if you can help.
Cheers,
Kate.
By CLAIR WEAVER
VIRTUALLY all fathers are spending more time with their children than previous generations, new research reveals.
In a trend consistent with the popular stereotype of the ``sensitive new-age guy'', today's dads are also better at helping around the house and performing childcare duties.
The phenomenon has even spawned fathers' groups, a support network for men similar to mothers' groups.
To manage a more hands-on role, a growing number are also seeking flexible working conditions.
Research by online magazine ********* found 95 per cent of fathers believed they spent more time with their children than their own fathers did with them.
CEO Claudia Keech said she was not surprised by the findings.
``Because we as a society are becoming double-income families, in order to make it work it has to be all hands on deck.
``These dads really want to be part of their children's lives.''
Despite fathers' apparent enthusiasm for parenting, their wives and partners say that only 51 per cent do their fair share of domestic duties, including chores and child care.
But it seems even this could be an improvement _ half were deemed to be better at helping around the home than they were before they had children.
A quarter of dads are now ``completely hands-on'', meaning they undertake everything from school runs and doctors appointments to homework and weekend sports activities.
Sydney dad Scott Avery _ who has has two children Zoe, four, and Tegan, three _ typifies the modern dad.
He juggles fatherhood with a full-time job at the University of Sydney, where he has an agreed flexible working arrangement.
His wife Alison also works full-time.
For the past four years he and a group of fellow dads have met regularly over beers at the pub to offer support and socialise.
``We started it because all the mothers were getting together and all the fathers were just standing around,'' he said.
``It started off with all the blokes talking about sport and then we got to know the children and what their issues were.
``We found over time we were comparing stories and we became a group of friends who could support each other.''
Mr Avery, who has just started writing a column called ****** for the ********* website, said he had noticed his working regime had improved his relationship with his kids.
``I had a year in which I was working quite long hours doing the rat race,'' he said.
As a child, he spent less time with his own father whose role was seen as the breadwinner, he added.
Mr Avery and his fathers' group will definitely be spending this Fathers' Day with their children _ their wives are leaving them behind to go on a trip to Canberra together.
Cheers,
Kate.
By CLAIR WEAVER
VIRTUALLY all fathers are spending more time with their children than previous generations, new research reveals.
In a trend consistent with the popular stereotype of the ``sensitive new-age guy'', today's dads are also better at helping around the house and performing childcare duties.
The phenomenon has even spawned fathers' groups, a support network for men similar to mothers' groups.
To manage a more hands-on role, a growing number are also seeking flexible working conditions.
Research by online magazine ********* found 95 per cent of fathers believed they spent more time with their children than their own fathers did with them.
CEO Claudia Keech said she was not surprised by the findings.
``Because we as a society are becoming double-income families, in order to make it work it has to be all hands on deck.
``These dads really want to be part of their children's lives.''
Despite fathers' apparent enthusiasm for parenting, their wives and partners say that only 51 per cent do their fair share of domestic duties, including chores and child care.
But it seems even this could be an improvement _ half were deemed to be better at helping around the home than they were before they had children.
A quarter of dads are now ``completely hands-on'', meaning they undertake everything from school runs and doctors appointments to homework and weekend sports activities.
Sydney dad Scott Avery _ who has has two children Zoe, four, and Tegan, three _ typifies the modern dad.
He juggles fatherhood with a full-time job at the University of Sydney, where he has an agreed flexible working arrangement.
His wife Alison also works full-time.
For the past four years he and a group of fellow dads have met regularly over beers at the pub to offer support and socialise.
``We started it because all the mothers were getting together and all the fathers were just standing around,'' he said.
``It started off with all the blokes talking about sport and then we got to know the children and what their issues were.
``We found over time we were comparing stories and we became a group of friends who could support each other.''
Mr Avery, who has just started writing a column called ****** for the ********* website, said he had noticed his working regime had improved his relationship with his kids.
``I had a year in which I was working quite long hours doing the rat race,'' he said.
As a child, he spent less time with his own father whose role was seen as the breadwinner, he added.
Mr Avery and his fathers' group will definitely be spending this Fathers' Day with their children _ their wives are leaving them behind to go on a trip to Canberra together.