Notable factoid from The Telegraph today:
Children rate their fathers as among their least popular playmates because they are too competitive, according to research among more than 1,000 youngsters.Hmm. Strikes me that this is probably true, but also probably transitional. If men are committing more time to nurturance, they're still doing it in defiance of a competitive workplace culture - which will shape their parental play. As the workplace humanises, that will change. But maybe only up to a point. Anthony Clare wrote a good book on masculinity once, which had fascinating facts about biological masculinity and styles of parenting. And men, according to the science, do tend to be competitive obsessionals in their play... Perhaps a matter of playing to different strengths in the family of the future?
They "played to win", lacked imagination or were simply at a loss as to how to play games, said the Children's Play Council, which commissioned the survey with the Children's Society. Children up to the age of 12 would rather play with their friends, their mother or their brothers and sisters.Only one in 16 chose their fathers as their ideal companion. Dads were rated slightly above grandparents (one in 33). One in 50 children said they would rather play on their own. Tim Gill, director of the Children's Play Council, said: "Dads have difficulty not being too competitive. Several fathers said they found it hard to get down to their children's level. And they don't find it easy to let children win.
"But children will get fed up if they lose all their time. It's frankly demoralising and not much fun."
