Yes, dads are more involved in their childrens’ lives than ever. But that doesn’t mean they’re not still the butt of almost every parenting joke.<\/p>\n
Just think about the 2012 Huggies ad<\/a> claiming that the brand’s diapers were the ultimate “Dad Test” — a joke that landed flat, as a backlash prompted the diaper company to pull the campaign<\/a> from Facebook. Then, of course, there was that 2007 Verizon ad<\/a>, which was banned for depicting another hapless “Everybody Loves Raymond”-type of father. Shows like Lifetime’s “Deadbeat Dads”<\/a> and Fox’s “Bad Dads”<\/a> have also raised more than a few eyebrows<\/a>. Sensing a theme here?<\/p>\n With an ever-increasing number of dual-earner families<\/a> and households in which the woman is the main breadwinner<\/a>, the roles of fathers are shifting, even if public perception hasn’t yet, Matthew Weinshenker<\/a>, assistant professor of sociology at Fordham University, told The Huffington Post. (That’s to say nothing of how growing numbers of same-sex couples are redefining what it means to be a “mother” or a “father.” Such couples are pushing past traditional gender roles and broadening the range of relationships that children can have with their parents — and their kids are turning out just fine<\/a>, research shows.)<\/p>\n Fortunately, a growing body of scientific research is there to back up these poor, patronized dads. Here are eight things science has taught us about the father-child relationship that might convince you to move beyond the “bumbling dad”<\/a> stereotype.<\/p>\n