PARENTHOOD
Free Video Games and All the Taco Bell You Can Eat
A modest proposal for deadbeat dads who are just in the way
Most dads today do more housework and childcare than men did in previous generations. Progress is good.
But by horrible coincidence, in the last month or so I’ve heard an astonishing number of young women recount their struggles with a partner who not only doesn’t want to pitch in on the traditional women’s work, but who also refuses to fill the traditional male role of breadwinning.
In each case, the young dad’s preferred way of passing time has been playing video games.
The opposite of a gold digger
Bella’s boyfriend moved in with her and never paid any rent. When she asked for help with household expenses, he reacted with exasperation: “All you care about is money!” Sensitive to the charge of being a gold digger, Bella continued paying all their living expenses herself, while Boyfriend amused himself with video games.
Then she accidentally became pregnant. Boyfriend was thrilled. But he didn’t step up as she assumed he would.
All through her pregnancy, Bella supported the household and did all the cooking and cleaning. After giving birth, she…
