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Men & Women Parent Differently — And Why It’s A Good Thing

April 1, 2010 by Lance Somerfeld

mom and dad hold baby's hands to help walk
Photo by Brittany Simuangco on Unsplash

With the scarcity of resources for dads out there, it’s nice to see that one of our local magazine’s really “gets it.” New York Family Magazine publishes dad-friendly information more frequently than most other parenting magazines that I read. One of this month’s feature articles was no exception! Many parents these days are more hands-on with their children. Consequently, a book has evolved on guiding couples to combine their individual strengths in order to co-parent successfully. “In their book “Partnership Parenting,” husband-and-wife team, Dr. Kyle Pruett and Marsha Kline Pruett, explore the different qualities that men and women bring to child-rearing.”

In the April edition of New York Family Magazine, “Viva Le Difference,” by Mary Squillace, includes an in-depth Q & A interview with both Dr. Kyle Pruett and Marsha Kline Pruett. The Pruetts provide insight to defining co-parenting, why splitting 50/50 doesn’t make sense, the differences between the way men and women parent, and improving communication.

The highlight for me was the question: Right away babies have a unique bond with their mothers. How can a father become more involved in building his relationship with the baby?

Kyle’s answer: The best way to take advantage of the baby’s interest in the father is for the father to be present as often as possible and involved in the physical care of the baby so the baby and father begin to develop their own rhythm, interaction and communication. It has to do with feeding, bathing, clothing, comforting— it’s not rocket science. Any social support that can get the father close to the baby early in its life is going to be quite a smart investment in the well-being of the relationship that develops between the father and the baby. The fact that you each do some things better than the other allows you to each have a role that is sort of identifiable.

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Filed Under: gender / sexuality, NYC, parenting styles Tagged With: gender roles, New York Family Magazine, parenting equality, parenting partnerships, spouses and partners

About Lance Somerfeld

Lance Somerfeld, co-founder of City Dads Group, lives with his wife and two children in New York City. He frequently contributes to the conversation about modern fatherhood, work-life balance, shifting gender roles, and brand’s marketing to dads. He has appeared on local and national television, including CNN, Today and Katie. He has been quoted by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, GQ, Parenting and The Atlantic.

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