"Perfect Dad" Rules! The day of the Dad has finally dawned according to our Daddy Day Care Poll It's official: Australian Dads are PERFECT… Or at least 68 per cent of them are, according to last month's "Daddy Day Care" poll! While a few Dads are still rather lazy in some of the tasks of weekend play dates and parties; doctors' and dentists' appointments; child care pick up and drop off, the overall consensus is that Dads are generally doing a pretty good job! 32 per cent always do the play date and party circuit at the weekends 58 per cent take the kids to sports and other activities every weekend 20 per cent are always ready to take time off work for sick children or to attend medical/dental appointments 34 per cent either share or take sole responsibility of child care pick-up and drop-off In short: "Perfect Dad" (there in all aspects – fun and boring - at any time) is the overall winner with 68 per cent); "Good time Dad"  (fairly willing but really only wants to do the fun bits) – 23.5 per cent; "Fair weather Dad" (only does child care etc when it suits him) - seven per cent "Dud Dad" (utterly useless in every aspect) – just one per cent! Fathers are definitely taking on much more of a hands-on role with pre-school children, during the working week and at weekends and we have noticed a large increase in the number of Dads who are registered on our site and actively taking on the role of finding child care or reading our articles and information on child care issues. However, despite these shining examples of fatherhood, there is still much room for improvement with some Dads we could mention, as shown with the following results: Q: How often does Dad do the weekend play-dates and birthday parties? Never – 13 per cent Occasionally – 48 per cent Q: How often does Dad do weekend activities (e.g. swimming lessons, football, ballet etc) with the kids? Never - 9 per cent Occasionally - 33 per cent Q: How often does Dad take time off to look after sick children or do dentist/doctor's appointments? Never – 28 per cent Occasionally – 51 per cent Q: How often does Dad do the drop-offs and pick-ups from child care? Never 14 per cent Occasionally 29 per cent Over the last decade or two, Dads have steadily been taking on an increasing share of the day to day role of carer – at least in equal measures if not as the primary carer of pre-school children.   A number of factors are contributing to this include the number of divorced parents where the father has sole custody or where parents have dual custody during the week; the steady increase in working mothers, combined with expensive or unsuitable child care; the economic situation forcing both parents to share work and care; flexible and part time working arrangements or the ability to work from home. The Daddy Day Care Poll confirmed a number of these issues: 10 per cent of Dads are full time, stay-at-home Dads; 16 per cent are working at home either full time or part time and therefore contribute much more to the day to day parenting tasks; 35 per cent of families have both parents working or studying full time and so the task of child care duties falls equally. Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to take the poll… We love the fact that CareforKids.com.au Dad's are (the majority anyway), just PERFECT! Happy Fathers Day!

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