This morning was “Pancake Palooza” at my children’s school.  This event is a father sponsored, once a year fundraiser, organized and executed by Kolter elementary fathers.  This was my third year participating as a very proud father. The past two years I was fortunate to be on the front line giving food to the little kiddies and looking at the smile on their faces. This year however I was assigned to cook the pancakes, thereafter I was assigned to help wash dishes, which I proudly took on the responsibility for the sake of the children, “I took for one for the kiddo’s”.

I did make an observation that several mothers came behind the kitchen to take pictures of us cooking and doing dishes.  As the day went on, it came to my awareness that I felt like I was at the zoo? Why would that be?  Many of the mothers were so surprized that we actually can cook and clean and do dishes?

  This is what really bothers me and lifts my skirt up.  It appears that the discussion up front was how amazed mothers were that the fathers there could actually cook, clean and do dishes? They were laughing because men cannot multi-task??? I do not understand where this level of arrogance of ignorance comes from, however I would say although biased, that many of the men I work with and save lives with can cook for their children, make their lunches and give orders to the intensive care unit for someone with a heart attack, acute heart failure, or call in a prescription, and since I am at these task, also pay my online bills. There was definately a different ambiance of a dad run program versus a mother ran program.  I remember us father’s all walking in and asking, what do you need for me to do, how can I help?  As opposed to the mother run programs of arguing and grandstanding regarding what is the best spoon to use for the pancakes, the best pots and whom will give orders and whom will execute orders?  I don’t get it? Is not the mission of fund raising for the kids and not about the “relational aggression”?

The last remaining fathers stayed behind after packing up and I asked several questions, compared to last year how did we do this year?( We doubled our donations) why do we fathers only have one event? everyone had a great time and would gladly volunteer for another event, while brainstorming, I came up with the idea of having a chili cook-off. What better event than everyone bringing together their favorite chili recipe, awarding winners and selling cups of chili for fund raising?  Well this is already being discussed with the principal.  Maybe my course work at Wharton Business school is actually paying off?