The Changing Face of Masculinity
For the longest time I associated masculinity solely to World’s Strongest Man competitors like Mariusz Pudzianowski and Magnus Ver Magnusson, and I don’t think I was alone in that belief. Times have changed quite a bit in the last few years, for the better, in my opinion and I think it’s great that my children will have a new example of what masculinity means as they grow up.
I’m always cautious with statements like the one above because I don’t want to take away from the excellent male influence a lot of us, especially myself, had growing up. My point is that society as a whole is more accepting of a version of masculinity that doesn’t solely revolve around fixing cars and chopping down trees and I love it. A 2014 study commissioned by Dove Men+Care showed that 9 out of 10 men globally believe masculinity has evolved since their father’s generation, and that showing care is a sign of a man’s real strength.
That’s a hard stat to argue with no matter how you look at it. I can’t imagine a world where I would have to feel self-conscious about consoling my son with a hug after a loss in the big game or dancing down the street with my daughter. Those are actually the moments where I feel the most like a man, as opposed to when I’m cutting the lawn or paying bills.
Don’t get me wrong, I love all the new superhero movies as much as the next guy but I think there is room for all kinds of heroes in the world, not just the ones with super physical strength. My main goal is to achieve hero status in my children’s eyes by showing them that you can be both tough and caring at the same time without worrying about what others think of you. Only time will tell but if the results to this point are any indication, I’m hoping to earn my cape by the time they are out of high school.
Just in time for Father’s Day and with 94% of men saying it is important to be a caring father, Dove Men+Care is paying tribute to the moments in real Dads lives that demonstrate how their care, rather than traditional physical traits, truly defines them as a hero. Dove Men+Care has created this amazing ‘My Dad, My Hero’ video that features real dads’ lives and shows what real strength is all about when it comes to being a father. Please enjoy the video and then keep reading below for an exciting giveaway!
Giveaway!
How great was that video? I thought it would be fun with Father’s Day on the horizon to giveaway a special package from Dove Men+Care. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post and let me know what your favourite moments with your kids are. Good Luck!
Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in the ‘My Dad, My Hero’ campaign but I am truly thrilled at the way the public’s views on masculinity have changed.
Going on nature walks wwith my kids and seeing them extremely excited.
The early mornings when it’s just me and the girls and my wife is sleeping in. Having fun, dance parties and making breakfast together is always a fun morning for us.
Love it! Dance parties are my favourite as well.
anytime we are outdoors especially the Summer. Love beach time & games
I think reading time is my favourite, all of us snuggled together as I read aloud to the kids.
My favorite moments with my kids are our beach days. And adventures throughout the nature paths where we live.
My favourite moments with my kids are bath time. There’s always a whole lot of splashing and mohawk styling.
My memory is when my 2 boys were bored. I said lets go play baseball. We grabbed our bat, gloves and ball and headed to the baseball field. It was so surreal because as we walked, other little boys their age saw us and asked where we were going. We told them and they wanted to come too. This continued during our walk to the field. By the time we got there, we had about 10 people to play ball. Really, true story.
My favourite moments are bedtime snuggles & baking or crafting with them. Seeing them make something all by themselves is incredible to watch.
My favourite time with my kids was usually bedtime. Not because I was finally going to have some peace and quiet, but because of the bedtime rituals. Bathtime, storytime, snuggle time and it was always when I learned exactly what they were thinking and feeling. I still miss that time.
Every moment is special. We all have a blast at the cottage kayaking,fishing,hiking,and camp fires. Make a lot of great memories there.
As this is a special Fathers Day post I’ll answer the question for my husband. His favourite times with the kids have been teaching them to fish and hunt plus other physical activities. He likes to see them outdoors and active, so the best days also include family quading trips and taking them out in boat on the lake.
Our favorite moments are playing games outdoors and sports. The children love to swim and play soccer.
Supper time when we can sit and chat about their day
My fave moments with my kids now is watching them with their own children!
Suppertime is the best. We all sit together and talk about their day
We like to go to the park to play and we like to make crafts.
Favorite moments are watching kid’s games in sports leagues and events
I LOVE THOSE MOMENTS WHEN WE ARE ALL TOGETHER AS A FAMILY, SITTING OUTSIDE, TALKING LAUGHING JUST ENJOYING EACH OTHERS COMPANY
My favourite moments are girl’s nights in when we do our nails and watch food network reality tv (a guilty pleasure we all share!*lol*).
My favorite moments are seeing him smile and play. I like to be able to get on the floor and play blocks and towers with him. He just likes to knock them down.
Spending time at the beach with a nice picnic
Our Favorite time together is being together and having a great time talking about their day. Now that they are older and have kids of their own, my favorite time is seeing my grandchildren growing up. Happy Fathers day to all Pops out there. Tomorrow we will be going to the Custom Car Show for Father’s Day enjoying time together with an old fashioned BBQ and Old Cars
my favorite moments are reading to them they enjoy it so much
I love taking my daughter to shows whether it’s in the cinema, at festivals, theatre, or Disney on Ice.
The first time I took my soon big game hunting
My favourite time with our children is when we have backyard fires, complete with marshmallows and hotdogs The singing and giggling is the best
Reading time before bed is a big one, also spending time outdoors is always fun
attending Space Camp in 2015
My favourite times are when we make stuff, be it something to eat in the kitchen or something to climb on in the backyard.
One of the highlights of being a dad was when we built an astronomy shed out back. My son helped with quite a bit. The shed has a roll off roof and a cement mount for one of our telescopes. My daughter also is a carpenter and decided she’d like to build a sofa bed. I did all the cutting but she assembled and painted it and uses the bed still today (she just finished up her 2nd yr of college)
I coach both my son and daughter in Little League baseball so my favourite moments is always being out at the diamonds with them, but especially being a part of their successes like that game winning hit or game saving catch.
The best time the little ones is when we are playing pretend and I am on the floor and seeing the world from their eyes and ears.
My favourite moments are when they are playing sports, my favourite thing to do when I was growing up.
my favorite moment is going swimming in the lake!
Vacations with the kids were always the best- especially beach ones!
I don’t have my own. However I have nieces and nephews and I love all kids. For me every moment spent with a child is special.
I love going to our AHL hockey games with my 3 boys
My kids have always loved to swim and go to the beach so our best times are always hanging out at the beach, building sandcastles, riding boogie boards and swimming.
My favourite moments was just before bed – they were so snuggly while I read them a book or we watched a program.
My favorite moments with my children are when we watch a movie together. It is a nice quite time which gives us something to enjoy to watch, munch on snack foods and get involved in conversation.
My favourite moments with my kids is when we go on adventures! Seeing their faces light up when we do something something special as a family is worth the stress of planning a special outing.
I love how easy and great it is to talk to my kids when we are doing physical activies like playing ball, or going for walks.
Moments at the supper table are my favourite.
My favourite moments with my little ones would have to be new experiences We are always up for an adventure and I love seeing the reactions they give
My children and grandchildren live thousands of miles away. All moments are great that I get to spend with them.
I love getting projects she’s made at school, and getting her report cards
My favourite moments are when my kids will come up and sit on my lap and snuggle with me for a long time!
I love playing games with my children. It is so much fun watching them use their imagination and creativity to come up with ideas and scenarios for us to act out and play together. It is a lot of fun!
Going to watch their soccer games
Reading stories together, baking, crafting, going for walks and trips to places like the zoo are all favourite times spent with my children and now my grandchildren. I treasure the time I have with them and enjoy every minute of it.
My favourite moments are always at bedtime, singing songs and reading stories.
My favourite time is anytime I get to spend with them 🙂
I love, at the end of the day, snuggling up in bed to read a few chapters of the book we are working on. It is calm, relaxing, and I get to share something I love, books!
I find anytime I get to spend with my kids are special. But, I love when we are at the trailer, or when we go out to places as a family (like Hockey Hall of Fame, Canada Wonderland)
My favorite moments with my kids are when we walk to school, we have some of the best conversations about all kinds of things.
What a nice video! It brings back memories of the fun we had when the kids were little! We used to laugh, dance, eat cake! and laugh some more!
My favorite moments with my girls is when we all go on our family walks around the neighborhood and when when we visit their favorite park. Oh and story time 🙂 I quite enjoy that
Loved the pencil trick in the video! I think my son will get a kick out of that one! Some of our favourite moments together are when we’re playing on our swing set or hitting some pucks around out back. But the special moments for me are when they snuggle close and we watch an episode of the Backyardigans or when they sneak in a kiss on the cheek! I’m one proud papa bear! I’ll try my best to teach them that Superheros are never too cool to show the world some love! Sweet contest! Thanks! #RealStrength
My favorite moments with my kids are when we get to experience something new for the first time. Those memories last a lifetime and it’s awesome when we all get to do it together.
Building our first Lego set together
We love reading just before bed time – great quiet reflective time as a family.
My favorite moments are when we go camping,telling stories around
a bonfire and sleeping under the stars with them.!!
Never too old get take a licking at a good old game of Yahtzee.
My favorite time with my kids is movie night where we all cuddle on the couch together under a blanket eating popcorn.
I love when we can all get our schedules snyched for the holidays. It’s wonderful to have everyone at the dinner table laughing and sharing.
favorite moments with children – cuddling on the couch + reading a story to them
My favourite moments are snuggles on the sofa while watching movies, going to the Zoo, heritage Park and Calaway Park, and sitting and colouring/drawing together with the kids. It also warms my heart watching my 21 year old son playing board games and drawing with his little brothers (ages 6, 7 and 8) when he comes over for Sunday dinner.
I coach both my girls in soccer and every minute we spend on the field together is one I wouldn’t trade for anything #Daddaughtertime
I love baking with my kids and playing games with them.
Playing street hockey with my 2 boys after school!
exploring nature with kids
sharing adventures
Simple thing like flying a kite in the park. . Thank you for the awesomeness, the contest, and generosity. 🙂
My fave moment is reading with my little one!
Reading books or doing art together…but really any time I feel a connection and have teaching moments.
My fave moments with my son is a bed time, reading a book together or just chatting. There is something safe about a child’s room that makes them comfortable about sharing their thoughts, a funny story or a secret. To me that’s the best
Happy Father’s Day!
Best Lisa
My fave moments are camping with the kiddies!! 🙂
My favourite moments are when they are telling me stories about something fun or exciting that happened to them. So full of wonder and drama <3
Love it! Dance parties
My favourite moments are bedtime story time, loved it when our kids were little and now with the Grandkids!
Getting outdoors in nature is one of my favourite times with the family!
We are going to the beach on the Bay of Funday with the children for a hot dog roast and roast marshmellows to make smores..
My husband likes to go skating with the family.
I don’t have any kids of my own, but after my sister (and their Mom passed), I enjoy any time I spend with my nieces, whether it is going to the movies, shopping, or playing games.
Bedtime and Breakfast time are some of my favourite moments. Happy Father’s Day!
Like to play soccer with him everyone happy!
I love playing baseball with my kids in the backyard.
My favorite moment with my son was on his birthday going to the drive in and watching movies for most of the night.
My favourite moment is watching my kids be silly! Just watching them crawl around and sound out cute noises is just wonderful.
My favorite moments with my kids is going to the park and doing crafts with them.
Family game night is my favourite
I love getting outside as a family! Canoeing, hiking or just spending time at the beach.
My hubby makes us breakfast in bed every Sunday morning and I love it!
When the temps are a little cold, and my boys want to cuddle up with me!
Cuddling in bed…I like to make up my own bedtime stories. Then when they are sleeping I look at their beautiful faces.
Water fights and playing in the sun!
Family vacations! Last year we visited Quebec!
I don’t have my own kids either but I have 7 nieces and nephews under age 8 who I love to spend time with. My favorite moments with them are reading stories, or in the winter when we built a snowman together.
No experience with kids yet, but doing an 8 day canoe trip with my dad in a few weeks!
I don’t have kids but I love the time I get to spend with my nieces & nephews especially when I get to babysit and spend some one on one time with them!
I loved to dress up as a gorilla at the boys’ birthday parties. It worked great until they turned 11 and decided they could defend themselves and the gorilla had to retire with battle wounds. I now use a teddy bear costume with the grand kids. They just give him hugs 🙂
Making crafts like painting pictures 🙂
I dont have my own kids just yet but i treat my fiances nieces like my own and we love to play music and dance to it
My favourite moment was catching my first fish at the age of 5! Was a memorable moment for my dad and I!
Spending as much time with them as I can, it’s quality time!
Going on lunch dates and walks to the park!
My favourite moments with my girls is when the 3 of us can all get along and hang out and joke together without any arguments or nitpicking, those are the best times to me!!
My hubby’s is fishing and playing hockey with our kids 🙂
I have always enjoyed camping with the kids. Such a different experience.
Taking kids on hiking trails and seeing them excited and discovering new things
My favourite moment is taking them to Legoland!
Swimming at the beach
loved the video. best times with the kids is talking with them and giving them undivided attention. we learn a lot about eachother when we listen with our heads and hearts. thanks
My favourite moments with my kids are the quiet times at night when we snuggle together to read books “just one more, please, Mommy?), say what we are grateful for and then say prayers followed by hugs and kisses goodnight. It doesn’t get much better than that.
I like going on walks to our favourite walking trail together.
My fav moments with the kids are those moments when we get to sit and cuddle together. Just sharing hugs! 🙂
Thanks
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mine are cuddling in bed before its bed time. we usually goof around before bed.
Smile
When they retell the joke I told them.
Hearing her laugh from the other room and knowing she’s about to run to me to show me something.
Watching her eat new and messy foods. Its funny to see the mess it makes on her and the highchair, right into the bath after is easiest way to clean the mess.
My husband and my favourite moment with our kids is spending time on the weekend bike riding and geocaching. Gives a reason to be outside and away from all distractions like work and electronics.
My favourite moments with my kids are family dinners and just talking about our days and whatever else comes up.
My favorite moments with my children are laughing together.
Family dinners are definitely a lot better with the whole family.
My favourite moments with my daughter is at the end of the day when we’re both tired and we snuggle and talk before bed.
I just love snuggling with my babies.
There are so many special moments from playing outside with the kids to watching a movie and even when they want to help me bake.
My favorite moments with the kids are when we are fishing.
going to the lake
My favourite moments with my children are story time and when we play board games together.
My favourite moment is playing with toys or games with them!
Chris – love this post man. I especially loved when you said “My main goal is to achieve hero status in my children’s eyes by showing them that you can be both tough and caring at the same time without worrying about what others think of you.”
This is so true. I believe that the meaning of masculinity is changing as well, and showing that you care and love your kids (whichever way you choose to display that love) doesn’t mean that you’re less masculine. As you said, you can be both tough and caring.
One of my favourite moments with my kids are
1. just holding my 2 yr old daughter in my arms and snuggling next to her chubby cheeks. Getting hugs and kisses from her
2. making up bedtime stories to both my kids as we make a tent under the covers and use a flashlight to tell the story.
I love these moments because of the genuine love that is felt and shared between us.