Truth: Dads are Sexy

Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing

Ok guys out there, it's unofficially official. Hollywood is right. Involved and caring Fathers are major "Babe Magnets". How do I know this? Through observation and experimentation, of course! A bit of background first.

This is my second marriage and I have a child from the first. My first husband believed in traditional roles in family life. After we had a child, he left the parenting to me. This was good in many respects, but was very lonely. Especially as my male friends and work colleagues were highly involved parents and devoted to their families. I often spent time socializing at family events without my spouse. He was busy working, exercising and socializing with other like - minded people. Although this was not THE reason we divorced, it was a major problem for me in our marriage. I worried a lot about the effect of the lack of my ex's involvement on my child's emotional well being.

Through this experience...I grew to admire a great deal the Fathers that I knew who had developed deep relationships with their kids. It's not easy. Kids are, well...kids.

Some time after my ex and I split, I met my current husband Dave. After we had known one another for a few months, Dave said that when I felt like it, he wanted to start getting to know my child. You see, he has kids from a previous marriage that he is dedicated to. He told me that he knew that my child and I were a "package deal" and he wanted to grow a relationship with both of us. Now guys... THAT is sexy to a single mother, believe me. I will leave to your imagination what happened next! Getting back to the "experiment" and proof of the Babe Magnet Theory... The next time you are at a family gathering where there are Dads with their kids, watch the women. They are most likely looking at the Dads (not just their own spouse), with a facial expression that seems to be a combination of admiration and...something else.

The women talk about it, too. Usually they say things like, "look at John, what a NICE man he is!" Another woman will say, "yea, and a wonderful Dad". That's were my experiment starts. I follow with something like, "that Dad thing is really sexy don't you think?"

After a pause in the conversation and few giggles, inevitably the comments are "yea, it really IS sexy. He's so strong and yet so patient and gentle with his kids", and so forth.

After many conversations like this, I feel that I am beginning to understand what the "something else" facial expression in the previous paragraph is. It's simple: Women ADORE men who genuinely care about, and are there for their kids!

My theory as to why has yet to be tested, but here it is. You see, gentlemen, we modern women are competent, educated, financially independent etc. Yet we still yearn for the knight in shining armor. The classic concept of knight in shining armor in this modern era is obsolete.

The one area in our lives where many of us competent, educated women feel unsure at times is parenting. It's a scary thing! We talk about it constantly. Are we doing the job well, badly, etc..? Lots of advice and experiential knowledge is always passed around. For a man to share the daily parenting and emotionally support the Mom in her role - well, I am guessing that there's not a Mother out there reading who would disagree that these men are the knights in shining armor of our time - our heroes!

The world is a better place because of you - the involved and caring Dad. All of you are heroes...and heroes are Babe Magnets.

...A toast to the great Babe Magnets of the world: past, present and future!

Happy Father's Day.