On being dad: What does fatherhood mean to you? Responsibility, dads say – but also joy

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Fatherhood in America has changed over the past few decades. Dads today are more involved in every aspect of child care, from diaper-changing to helping with homework. Nobody questions paternity leave — even Major League Baseball players take it — and stay-at-home fathers are no longer unusual. And while there are more single moms than ever before, kids raised by two parents have a big advantage over kids from single-parent homes: They are less likely to be poor.

Despite the changes, when you ask today’s dads what fatherhood means to them, they cite some pretty old-school, universal themes. A team from The Associated Press recently photographed 10 sets of fathers with their children, and when they were asked about being dads, they mentioned responsibility, hard work, joy and pride.

What does fatherhood mean to you?

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