Many years ago, my bride-to-be cajoled me into some dance lessons. During those few sessions, as our instructor guided us through some ballroom basics, he repeated several times, “Just remember, the woman is the picture, the man is the frame.”
This same description might apply to traditional two-parent families, in which Mom is usually the more vivid picture in a child’s life. She’s the one who carries the pre-born baby, kisses the toddler’s scraped knee, cries on the first day of school, and drives the kids to soccer, ballet, martial arts, drama club, and birthday parties.
Dad often plays second fiddle in this duet of parenting. He’s the guy who arrives home around suppertime after selling insurance or hammering nails all day. He’s the one who can teach his little girl how to bait a hook or his son to throw a football, but fumbles with the words “I love you” or “I’m sorry.”…