DADWAGON

If you ever doubt the power of what we do as dads, consider this: when Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, was recently asked about the best advice he ever got, he answered with a little homage to his father’s gift to him:

The power of unconditional love. I mean, there is no power on earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child, I mean you’re 90 percent of the way home. There may be days when you don’t feel like it, it’s not uncritical love, that’s a different animal, but to know you can always come back, that is huge in life. That takes you a long, long way. And I would say that every parent out there that can extend that to their child at an early age, it’s going to make for a better human being.

It’s worth paying attention to because Warren Buffett is, well, a very good human being. I’ve never quite understood his parsimonious personal life, and I don’t usually sing the loudest praises of the übercapitalists. But Buffett’s $600 billion challenge is not just a pledge drive, it’s a direct challenge to the growing solipsism and avarice of the superrich. Not only that, but his Fortune op-ed about his personal commitment to give away 99% of his wealth was remarkably humble; he compared his pledge unfavorably to the many smaller acts of charity Americans perform every day:

Millions of people who regularly contribute to churches, schools, and other organizations thereby relinquish the use of funds that would otherwise benefit their own families. The dollars these people drop into a collection plate or give to United Way mean forgone movies, dinners out, or other personal pleasures. In contrast, my family and I will give up nothing we need or want by fulfilling this 99% pledge.

This is not to say that your son is going to be a billionaire. He’s not. He’s going to struggle to make mortgage payments. He’s going to drink a little too much on the weekends. He’s going to spend much of his life waiting for that promotion that is not gonna come. But maybe, just maybe, because of your good parenting, he will be a good person. And that will be at least one thing he has in common with Warren Buffett.

I’m the rotated editor of the DadWagon this week, and I made a managerial decision to watch Germany v. Spain (go Spain!) instead of actually rounding up content this afternoon. So I leave you with this video of the best of the worst fútbol flops (expect to see the damely Dutch doing a lot of diving in the final). By the way, the play to sympathies, the dramatics and taking of mock offense, etc., reminds me plenty of how husbands and wives communicate. Unfortunately, there are no referees–a lack that I think leads many couples to become those people, the kind that air out their differences at cocktail parties in front of strangers or acquaintances in the hopes that someone will referee their differences. Anyhow, enjoy the histrionics:

From Matt G. comes a link to good news for fathers in Japan.

First, the problem, as reported by Monocle:

Japan, birthplace of the workaholic salaryman, has long held the dubious distinction of being one of the most overworked nations in the developed world. And nowhere is this better reflected than in the context of Japanese fathers. Fewer than 1 per cent of new dads take the full leave to which they are legally entitled – often because it is professionally frowned upon, adds pressure on their colleagues and lowers chances of promotion.

So it should come as little surprise that further studies show Japanese fathers spend the least time on childcare and housework compared with their counterparts in other industrialised nations.

The solution: a switch to the same model I saw used in Germany, where the overall allowed parental leave time increases if both spouses use some of it each. Also, new Japanese dads can take some time of even if their wives aren’t working. That’s a big switch, because it signals that paternal leave is not just a functional necessity (a solution to the nuts-and-bolts problem of who will stay with baby), but also an emotional and developmental necessity (baby needs to get to know its father). Like many trends in Japan, it has inspired a hybrid nickname: iku-men, from the word iku-ji (childrearing).

It seems like such a simple thing, doesn’t it? Japan has been worried about its low birth rate for such a long time, but hasn’t even taken these modest steps before now. Same here in the States–there is so much hand-wringing and blather about the future of our children, the state of the family. But little action to actually make it, you know, easier to parent well. Affordable child care, universal pre-k, health insurance for all (with the attendant good access to prenatal and postnatal care).

It’s always enjoyable to poke fun at the batshit workaholic Japanese, but there are some near-impossible things about trying to have and raise a child in this country. Always good to look in the mirror as well.

In recent weeks, we’ve run a few items about the cutting edge fashion revolution in diapers. We’ve also discussed how diaper companies are only now beginning to recognize that men actually change diapers from time to time.

Frankly, I always just thought diaper marketing was about moving units (zing!). But apparently not. Here’s an ad from Luvs, which isn’t really even about diapers at all, but about how to tell your family–in this case, the father–that a new baby is on the way. Enjoy.