A Parent On Reddit Asked: Are There Any Boys Who Want To Be Dads When They Grow Up?
The responses were surprising.
Almost from the moment they’re born, girls are given baby dolls and kitchen sets and encouraged to play house, and boys, well, not so much.
We know our culture doesn’t really point boys in the direction of fatherhood, but one parent wondered if it’s something boys dream of from a young age anyway.
Reddit user Past_Store6019 reached out to the r/Parenting thread to find out.
“My son is now 4 years old, and he quite often talks about wanting to be a dad and have his own children when he grows up. I’m just wondering, why are all these women talking about how they wanted to be mothers since they were toddlers, BUT THEN I never hear men or boys mention how they always wanted to be fathers?” they asked.
“Is it somehow unusual for boys to have this desire or are men conditioned to forget/suppress/hide what it was they dreamed of when they were kids, or what?” the user continued. “My son also likes sports and plays war and likes dinosaurs and monsters etc. so it doesn’t seem like he’s so different from the other boys. Do you have sons who say they want to have children when they grow up? 😀”
The Reddit community answered, and the responses were heartwarming.
“My 4 year old also says he wants to be a dad when he grows up. That's always been his first response to, ‘What do you wanna be when you grow up,’ one user said. “It's only within the last year that he's also added police officer as a career. He tells me he wants to have a partner to have a family with & he hopes I can meet them all someday. Me too, kiddo.”
“The 7 year old says he wants to live alone. Also me too, kiddo,” the user added.
Well, everyone is different!
More users responded, and it turns out, plenty of little boys dream of parenthood.
“My husband said he always wanted to be a Dad! And he’s a great dad.” said one user
“My son also grew up saying this. He was always extremely gentle and loving with babies and younger kids, and I do think he’d make a great dad someday,” said another. “He’s a teen now, and we’ve had the required talks about waiting until the time is right and being safe and planning a solid financial & relationship-based foundation for parenthood first.”
“My 5 yr old boy says he wants to be a mum. ‘Because they’re good!’🥰” another user said.
My heart!
Other users shared there theories why boys do, or don’t, hope to become dads.
“My son wants to be a Dad when he grows up. He's 6. His Dad is very active and involved in all aspects of his life,” one usesr explained. “I think looking back in time, Fathers in generations past weren't as present in the home as they are now. It is more common for both parents to be working, and so it is more common for parents to also be splitting the responsibilities in the home, making them more equally present as they raise their children.”
“I think when boys say it we talk about how ‘he always wanted to have kids’ and when girls say it we talk about how ‘she always wanted to be a mom,’” said another user. “Our society presumes girls want to mother when they say they want children and I think we're only very recently making it normal to similarly presume that boys who say they want to have children are speaking if wanting to grow into the full role and identity of ‘father.’”
Definitely a possibility.
Either way, it’s incredibly sweet to read about all these boys who want to be loving, nurturing dads one day, or who were able to make that dream come true.
Read the entire thread here.
