In the past there has been a notion that real men do not take care of the kids. Real men do not do dishes. Real men do not change diapers. Real men do not babysit. Child-rearing is the responsibility of women.
This has done irreparable damage to generations of young men and women. Has led to the breakdowns of many a wife and mother and has left manhood in the ICU. I am not surprised at all the feminist anti-heterosexual male calls that constantly reverberate on social media and nowadays in the marketplace. Men have made themselves replaceable. Not that I am suggesting that a man cannot be replaced, all that I am saying is that God never intended for women to raise children alone.
If we examine the Scriptures we note that both in the descriptions of qualifications for deacons and elders Paul mentions that church leaders should ensure that they manage their households and specifically their children well (1 Timothy 3:4 & Titus 1:7). Now some may argue that this means disciplining, but show me how you will discipline a child who you never worry to share your and their day to day life with.
Changing nappies, feeding them, cleaning them and after them is not tasks of the household. It is them. It is their lives. If a father misses these seemingly mundane tasks everyday how many days of his child’s life is he not missing out on? How many times does a baby poop? A LOT. A CRAZY LOT. Does it smell nice? Is it a nice task? NO. But it is them. In their most vulnerable state you can be their. This is also not only their own most vulnerable state, but often that of the mother as well.
Mothers go through massive trauma during and after the birthing process. Being the one that is mainly responsible for the rearing of the young child is already a very heavy burden. Being the only one to bear that responsibility is not right. It is not as it was supposed to be.
When men start sharing the load in the household they do not only meet their children, but they come alongside their wives and in doing so they meet their needs without doing anything spectacular. For a tired mother one diaper change can make a massive difference. One set of dishes that you wash can lighten her day. One feed can mean she gets 4 hours uninterrupted sleep and feels refreshed.
Be a man. Wash the dishes. Change the diapers. Feed the child(ren). Be a husband. Be a dad.
What makes a man 