Do fathers make good mothers? Experts say special ‘maternal instincts’ are a societal construct

National Post ^ | June 13, 2014 | Sarah Boesveld

[rickmichaels]

When Charlotte Callaghan wakes up in the night, her small voice swells through the dark as she calls out for comfort.

“Daaaaaaaadddyyyy!” the three-year-old will yell, until her father comes to coax her back to sleep. Sometimes she’ll scurry down the hall and try to crawl into bed with him.

Spencer Callaghan, a 38-year-old father to two daughters (his youngest, Harper, is 1), works from the family’s Ottawa home as a digital marketing consultant, taking care of the breakfast and dinner routine as his wife, Courtney Callaghan, a teacher, goes to and from school.

When Charlotte was born, he felt like a bit of a “third wheel.” But hundreds of diaper changes later, and the more time spent together, he became extremely attuned to her needs, and she responded in kind. When her sister came along, the desire for daddy tended to rise.

“I wouldn't call it a maternal instinct; I’d call it a parental instinct,” he said. “I don’t say that to disparage the concept of a motherly instinct, but there’s also a fatherly instinct.”

[married21]

I think there is a slight advantage to a breastfeeding mother, over a father, during infancy. There is chemistry there. After that, things sort of even out, although it does seem to me that people in their 20s find themselves reconnecting with Dad, getting his guidance and blessing, so to speak, as they go into careers.

[yarddog]

Fathers make good Fathers and Mothers make good Mothers.

If a family loses one the other will usually take on some of the characteristics of their opposite parent. At least that is how it used to be.

Of course not every family is ideal or totally typical.

[yldstrk]

no

[AbolishCSEU]

Ok, why is a three year old not sleeping throught the night? I find a lot of modern parents don’t allow their children when infants to self-sooth and pick them up for the slightest noise the infant makes. Once in a great while a child will have a nightmare which is understandable. And a lot of the “night terrors” can be linked to a poor diet, not enough exercise and fresh air.

And don’t get me started on co-sleeping!!!

The very same children become unable to self-entertain as well, needing mommy or daddy’s attention for everything they do. Kids can’t play on their own these days without mommy or daddy helicoptering.

[Hieronymus]

Our priest went on a rant about this article at the end of Mass today (a deacon had preached the homily).

“Do bulls make good cows? Do roosters make good hens? These people are (some Polish word) crazy.”

[Hieronymus]

If by co-sleeping you mean letting a nursing child stay in bed at night, I’m all for it. As it stands, I only have to get our youngest out of the playpen at the end of the bed and roughly in position and then everyone goes back to sleep. Should we all have to wake up again to get her back in?

[4rcane]

why dont they test this theory out in the animal world. The male and female species tend to perform different funtions

[Old Sarge]

Experts say special ‘maternal instincts’ are a societal construct

Makes sense, especially among Leftist women - after all, they're very quick to kill their offspring...

[yarddog]

I used to work with a bunch of Federal Agents. Most of them were WWII vets and were of that generation. I was a bit younger but we all began talking one afternoon about growing up.

Now some grew up in towns and some in rural areas but there was one thing we had in common. We all were given a tremendous amount of independence. Mother would call us for Dinner and Supper but other than that we played on our own. I will say our older siblings did do a lot of parenting in a way.

Some of the guys who grew up in Norfolk, VA said there was a whistle from some place which blew at noon and maybe 6:00. They said that was the cue for them to go eat lunch or come in for supper.

Today parents pretty much keep their kids underfoot constantly and in a way I can’t blame them. There is a lot of meanness going on out there.

[BenLurkin]

“Experts say special ‘maternal instincts’ are a societal construct”

http://www.johnspeedie.com/healy/crap.wav

[yldstrk]

He obviously has no effing idea what he is blathering about. I nursed in bed and my kids wouldn’t dream of sleeping with me now. But the utter exhaustion is something only certain people can understand

[ConorMacNessa]

"Experts say special ‘maternal instincts’ are a societal construct."

Really? what about biological instinct?

In a society that lauds single mothers and derides the traditional family, it is no surprise that some so-called "expert" comes out with such a pronouncement.

Maternal instinct is not a "social construct." It is rather a basic biological instinct, exhibited across the Animal Kingdom in numerous species.

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

O stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that we lie here, obedient to their command.

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Nifster]

some people are so stupid it isn’t worth commenting on

[dr_lew]

"I blame society"

[goodwithagun]

My husband is amazing. He works 24 and is off 48. He does almost all of our laundry, vacuums and steam mops, and fixes the kids their lunches. That stated, he is not mommy and I am not daddy. We have two different roles regardless of his ability to separate clothes, operate a floor cleaning machine, and slap together PB&Js.

[odawg]

Yep, that is why it’s completely okay to walk up to a bear and pick up her cub, or for a stranger to walk up to a dog and pick up one of her pups. Those animals have never been brainwashed by an evil patriarchal society.

[Fungi]

Bingo. Another attempt at destroying the very heart of society. “When there are no absolutes to govern society, society becomes the absolute.” Francis Schaeffer.

[mquinn]

We got ours to sleep through the night at 5 months old, by doing just that; not running in at the first hint of a whimper. Don’t leave em wailing for goodness sake, but it’s ok to let them cry it out to an extent.

[Gay State Conservative]

The best adjusted kids have both a sane,decent,loving and reasonably intelligent father *and* mother.Both boys *and* girls benefit,over time,from having two such parents.One need only look at the inner cities,large,medium sized and even small,to see what happens when boys grow up without fathers.