Cleveland Clinic adds that dad’s parietal lobes also shrink, a part of the brain that gives your pops a sense of direction (2). Meanwhile, James K Rillingis, professor and department chair of anthropology at Emory College, points out that men, when they become dads, suffer a marked loss of testosterone, influencing their sex drive, mood, and changes in muscle and fat ratios (Aeon, 2020) (3). Adding to the notion, in 2023, Easyjet surveyed a thousand teens about their holiday experiences with their families (5). You don’t need to ask who embarrasses them the most — it was their dads! Topping the red list were pops’ dance moves, loud complaining, and pigging out at the buffet — things any teen can relate to. Almost 50 percent of the teens surveyed couldn’t remember a holiday without their dad them to squirm in shame. Funnily enough, over 50 percent of the fathers quizzed in the same survey reckoned they were pretty “cool” on family vacations. It also comes as no surprise that 49 percent of the dads reckoned embarrassing their kids was a “duty of fatherhood!” According to a 2013 feature by Bristol University, our male ancestors battled with their daughters’ potential mates because a bad partner would strain the family’s resources (6). Not much has changed today. When your little angel brings home some deadbeat poet or, worse, a DJ, they meet them with the “dad stare.” It’s understandable; dads want someone to look after their daughter. The problem is girls are more interested in a guy’s sense of humor, says Gwendolyn Seidman, Ph.D. in a 2019 feature for Psychology Today (7). Dads’ should be aware of the Romeo and Juliet effect, a psychological phenomenon where parental opposition to a romantic relationship increases the intensity and attraction between the couple (The Journal of Social Psychology, 2014) (8). In other words, if fathers hate their daughter’s boyfriend — they will like him even more. Being a “scary” dad will also strain your relationship with your kid. So stop being scary and trying to make your girl’s date squirm — you might be stoking the flames! Marc Hye-Knudsen suggests this irritating dad trait is essential for a youngster’s development and can help a child grow up (The British Psychology Society, 2023) (9). Dad jokes push their developing kids’ boundaries without overt bullying and teach them resilience in the big bad world. Dad jokes aren’t new. In 1987, Jim Kalbaugh posted an article in the Gettysburg Times urging his readers to “respect and cherish” dad jokes (10). He must have been a dad because he called the corny jokes “a great tradition worth preserving.” Historically, corny jokes have a long history, dating back to 1900 AD when a Sumerian recorded a proverb about a woman farting on her husband’s lap (Reuters, 2008) (11). Dad jokes are found not only in the West. The Japanese have their own version of “oyaji gyagu,” which roughly translates to “old men’s jokes.” The Danish also have their version of dad jokes called “onkel humor” or uncle humor. Not funny. Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
