July 21, 2023
During the summer months, my partner, Mark, truly comes alive at the grill. His enthusiasm for grilling is palpable; he experiments with innovative recipes and invests in all the latest gadgets. There have been instances where he has stayed up all night perfecting smoked brisket for an upcoming gathering.
As a vegetarian, I don’t partake in most of his culinary creations, but there’s one aspect of his grilling passion that I wholeheartedly appreciate — he takes charge of the cooking and grocery shopping.
Mark’s dedication to grilling means he has specific tastes and requests when it comes to food. Rather than bore me with the nuances of choosing between ribeye and filet mignon or the importance of a certain kind of charcoal, he happily assumes the grocery shopping responsibilities. And let me tell you, he excels at it.
Most weekends, particularly during the summer, he heads out armed with an extensive shopping list and returns home with an impressive haul — often more than a dozen bags filled with both essentials and some unexpected items. Sure, he sometimes forgets the reusable bags or mistakenly buys the wrong type of cereal (the kids and I prefer the sugary stuff, while he leans toward the healthier options). And yes, he’s been known to splurge on exotic fruits that leave me scratching my head.
But I genuinely appreciate when Mark takes the reins on grocery shopping, even if that giant durian he brought home once (seriously, what’s a durian?!) cost as much as a decent bottle of wine. It opens up exciting new culinary opportunities for us and saves me from the chaos of grocery shopping with two hungry kids at 4:30 PM on a Tuesday. Plus, it sets a fantastic example for our sons, showcasing that men can and should contribute to household chores. It’s a win all around.
And let’s not forget how great he is at being a dad. Mark juggles errands, feeds our children, and transports them to and from baseball practice. While I typically manage these tasks as the stay-at-home parent, whenever he can pitch in, he does it with flair.
He’s the one who takes our eldest son to piano lessons and somehow gets him to practice at home, a feat I’ve only managed through bribery and threats. He navigates the aisles of Target with our two little ones in tow, all while keeping his cool. He even manages to take our rambunctious kids to restaurants alone, ensuring they stay seated while discussing everything from sports to the latest Star Wars movie (and yes, the stinkiness of their farts). While he may approach tasks differently than I do, his methods yield impressive results.
Although Mark might not be the ultimate handyman (sorry, love), he’s fully capable of handling a variety of household chores. Sure, he folds towels in a way that I find questionable (seriously, there’s definitely a right way to do it) and sometimes misses the laundry hamper with his socks, but he remembers to air-dry our sweaters and avoids shrinking my favorite T-shirts — a task I often botch.
Too often, I hear women lament how their partners don’t contribute around the house or mess things up when they do. Some dads even feign ignorance about grocery shopping and laundry, hoping to escape future responsibilities. But let’s set the record straight:
Gentlemen, stop pretending you don’t know how to handle these tasks. You are capable adults with careers and families. Step up and take a trip to the grocery store every now and then. You can do this, and your partner will appreciate your support. So go ahead, tackle the supermarket or the laundry, or why not both?
And ladies, let’s ease off on micromanaging the men in our lives. They are more than capable. Moms and dads may have different approaches, but if this leads to a better work-life balance and overall well-being, who really cares?
Unless we’re talking about towels. Because, again, there is definitely a right way to fold towels.
Want to dive deeper into parenting and family life? Check out this insightful post on pregnancy and home insemination, and learn more about family planning at Make a Mom. For additional valuable information on pregnancy, visit WHO’s health topics on pregnancy.
To summarize, dads are more than capable of sharing household responsibilities and caring for their children. It’s essential to recognize and support their involvement, which ultimately leads to a more balanced family dynamic.