My last post taking issue with Obama's fatherhood commercial generated some passionate comments summarized by "I think the message he's trying to convey is that being a [great] father is not that hard or time consuming."
This got me thinking as to what is the minimum amount time a parent needs to spend with their child daily (on average) to be even considered great? Can you skate by on just a few minutes, if they are somehow quality minutes?
Personally, I don't think so. Certainly it takes more than just a few minutes, right? What about an hour a day? Can you still be a great dad on an hour a day?
I'm still hesitant to call that kind of parenting *great* as in exceptional or distinguished. At best it seems good, and is probably more like average.
And is the requirement for being a great mom different than a great dad? If the traditional working family was reversed with the mom working and the dad staying at home, and the mom spent one quality hour a day with the kids, would she be a great mom?
She better be or its sexist, right? Yet I can't see that person thinking she is a great Mom.
What if both parents work and they each just spend one quality hour with their kids, paying childcare workers for the rest of the time. Can they both be great parents through just this one shared hour a day?
Don't get me wrong. I agree with the message that you should spend more time with your kids, and all time counts. I think the problem is in making the leap from "a few minutes" or even an hour to somehow being "great."
