We live in a world where a parenting double standard abounds in 2022.
It is stated that for heterosexual couples, fathers are often celebrated for doing any ordinary parental task. At the same time, mothers are supposed to deal with the masses without a pat on the back.
Mary Catherine Starr, an artist, yoga teacher, and mother of two, based in Massachusetts, is the woman behind the Instagram account @momlife_comics.
Instagram.com
Her recent article, “An illustrated guide to the double standards of parenting,” highlights some critical differences in how society views mothers compared to fathers.
The publication touched a nerve on social media. In fact, it soon became her most popular article so far.
Mary said, “I am tired of our society applauding fathers for handling the most basic parenting duties and expecting perfection from mothers.”
The scenarios depicted are based on Mary’s own experiences as a mother in a world that consistently sets the bar much lower for fathers.
Mary said, “People have said many things to me that they would never say to my husband. For instance, I pushed her into the stroller and looked at my phone. A neighbor called me and said that I ‘should pay attention to my daughter instead of my phone.’ I knew he never said that to my husband.”
In another example, when people say a father is “babysitting,” what he is really doing is parenting his child.
She said, “People will ask mothers, ‘Who is watching your kids?’ when traveling or out at night, but don’t ask dads that.
Parents have been sharing their observations on Mary’s Instagram account about these double standards, lamenting how insulting and frustrating they can be.
Instagram.com
Mary emphasized that the purpose of these comics is not to bash fathers. It is to raise awareness of the differences in perception between mothers and fathers when they do the same thing.
She said, “I hope that the more we talk about and point out these double standards, the more we can start to change the narrative.”