The 20 most annoying phrases dads hear

Dads still aren’t being taken seriously as parents, and they’re feeling pretty fed up…

These days, dads are taking on more of the parenting load than ever before – with many claiming to share a 50-50 split with their partner – and yet many people still assume they don’t know what they’re doing.

“Bet you can’t wait until your wife comes back” and “it’s nice to see a man looking after his kids” are just two of the phrases they hear regularly, alongside comments such as “are you babysitting today?”, “you’re such a softie” and “did your wife lay out the kids’ clothes for you?”

READ MORE: What do dads-to-be really think?

According to a study by ChannelMum.com, “you’ve got him well trained” and “you’re doing that wrong” are the two they find the most frustrating. Just under a tenth of the 2,000 men survey have also been told “your baby seems really happy with you.”

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A third of fathers also admitted to hearing some kind of patronising comment up to five times a week, with research revealing that the most comments come from their mother-in-law, their partner or another mum.

“Almost all parenting issues still only focus on mum’s involvement – so no wonder dad feels fed up,” says ChannelMum.com founder Siobhan Freegard.

“Modern men are doing more parenting than ever before, so that’s why it’s frustrating for dads when people are still surprised when they can care effectively for their kids.”

One in 20 dads even revealed that they get wound up by patronising comments within the first six months of their child’s life, with just under half agreeing that men have a bad reputation when it comes to parenting.

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29 per cent also admitted to confronting someone else for making a passive-aggressive comment about their parenting.

“Mum maybe the word, but we all need to think more carefully about the words we use to describe dads and what they do,” adds Siobhan.

Top 20 most annoying phrases dads hear

1. You’ve got him well trained
2. You’re doing that wrong, it should be like this
3. Are you disappointed the baby wasn’t a boy?
4. Are you babysitting today?
5. It’s nice to see a man looking after his kids
6. Bet you can’t wait until the wife comes back
7. Wow, your baby is massive!
8. Get used to never having sex again now the kids are here
9. Who ironed the kids’ clothes?
10. Did you wife lay out the kids’ outfits for you?
11. There’s always one! (if you arrive late somewhere)
12. You’re actually quite good at putting on a nappy
13. Oh, you managed to make it here on time
14. You’re such a hands-on dad
15. You’re such a softie
16. Where is your partner?
17. Oh, you managed to remember to pack his PE kit
18. Is it hard to work full time with a baby?
19. Your baby seems really happy with you
20. It must be hard for you to get up early with the kids

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