A “Super Daddy” is a father who works hard at his job, housework, and childcare. I want to increase the number of such “Super Daddies,”” says Kazuaki Takahashi, President of the NPO Super Daddy Association and a producer for TBS TV. Mr. Takahashi has produced many popular programs, including “King’s Brunch” and “Akko ni Omakase! and “Akko ni Omakase!” and is currently in charge of “Sunday Japon. In this interview, we talked with Ms. Takahashi and Fumio Yonezawa, a board member of the association and owner-chef of the restaurant “No Code,” about the secrets of “Super Daddy” and “loose housework. We also introduce some of Yonezawa’s favorite recipes that are easy to make and will be appreciated by the family!

(This will be delivered in two parts, Part 1 and Part 2)

A TV Producer Teaches Five “Super Daddy” Tips! Five “Super Daddy” Tips

Kazuaki Takahashi
(President of NPO Super Daddy Association, Producer for TBS TV)

 

　Super Daddy” is named after Superman, but it does not mean “superhuman dad like Superman. It means a father who can inspire himself to be a father like Superman, without excuses and with a smile on his face for the sake of his family. Here are five things to keep in mind in order to become a “super dad.

1. Think first about your wife’s life after childbirth.
　My wife lost her job once when she took a leave of absence due to pregnancy and childbirth, as she works as a freelancer with no maternity or paternity leave system. At that time, I thought, “Maybe my wife’s life stopped once when she gave birth,” and “I am not equal, even though I am working normally as before. To be equal, we work the same way and raise our children the same way. We decided to work together as a team in all aspects of child rearing.
　A wife’s life continues after pregnancy and childbirth. If the husband does not cooperate in raising the child, the wife will not be able to move on to the next phase of her life. To take this to a bit of an extreme, it is important that the wife’s life after childbirth be considered first and foremost, rather than the child.

2. Enjoy housework and childcare
　I myself am a father, but it’s not easy to be a father unless you think, “I’m going to do the housework and childcare like Superman! (laugh) However, in order to become a “Super Daddy,” it is hard when many things become “duties” or “responsibilities,” so I want fathers to have an atmosphere where they can enjoy themselves. I want you to enjoy yourself. So, I want you to have an atmosphere where you can enjoy yourself. Let’s start by thinking about how we can enjoy raising our children, such as by suggesting things we are good at or like to do.

Dad is the producer of the family!
　One of the skills needed to be a “Super Daddy” is to be a producer of events that make the family happy. Ideally, he should plan what to do for anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, and other milestones before his wife tells him to do so. In my case, I enjoy doing this in the same way that I want to surprise my audience when I make a TV show.

4. Requests to the wife’s parents are made by the husband.
　My wife’s parents are strong supporters in raising our children. When I ask them for help, in our family, it is not my wife, with whom I have a direct parent-child relationship, but me who does the asking. If my wife asks for help, she might say, “If you have to do that, quit your job,” but if I take the initiative, she agrees and says, “I don’t have a choice. Of course, I can’t ask her to do this often, but I believe it has the effect of shortening the distance between my wife and her parents.

5. Introduce each other’s friends
　When couples introduce each other’s friends to each other, it creates a common conversation. It is important to have more conversations outside of child-rearing, and having a mutual friend can increase the number of topics of conversation with the wife, such as, “How is that person doing?” and so on, which increases the number of topics of conversation with the wife and is very helpful for communication between the couple.

 

Recommendations for “Yuru-Keitai” (loose housework), which turns a painful chore into an enjoyable one.

　It is natural for couples to share household chores, especially if they are working together. But housework is not very fun. Is there any way to make housework fun? After much trial and error, we discovered “Yuru-Keywork. We want people to have a sense of “loosely enjoying” housework, without feeling burdened by the need to do it perfectly. This is the basic concept of “Yuru-Keywork.

Secret #1: Add a little extra fun to your regular chores.
　Household chores that must be done as part of the daily routine, such as washing the dishes, are often done quickly and without much fun. However, by changing your mindset and adding a little something extra, such as “with a cup of coffee in hand” during the day or “with a beer or a glass of wine” at night, you can make the time more enjoyable and enriching. Cleaning and doing laundry while listening to your favorite music is also a “loose housework style.

Secret #2: Shoeshine is representative of “loose housework.
　Among the many household chores, I especially recommend shoeshine for men. I often lay out newspaper in the living room and polish my wife’s and children’s shoes at night after the family has gone to bed, listening to music with headphones on. The next morning, they are happy to see me and say, “Thank you! They are so shiny! Listening to my favorite music while I polish gives me a sense of relaxation, and my family appreciates it as well, so I kill two birds with one stone.

Secret #3 Making your own coffee is also a “loose housework”.
　In addition to daily routine chores, it is also recommended to find something you can do or something that could become a hobby for you and try to do it. For example, it would be nice if Dad could take the time to make coffee for Mom, paying particular attention to the beans, brewing equipment, and so on.

Let’s enjoy the path to becoming a “Super Daddy” by being loose with the housework and raising children in your own way!

　Our goal for a “Super Daddy” is to be as cool and stylish as possible, both for our children and for our wives. It is also important for a “super daddy” to be actively involved in housework and childcare, and to make time for his wife in a meaningful way.
　There is no right answer to child-rearing, and many fathers may have their own worries, but because there is no right answer, the best part of child-rearing is that parents can grow and develop in their own way. Let’s aim to be “Super Dads” by talking to those around you about your children and having fun with a cheerful spirit!

 

Let’s aim for a relaxed and fun life! Click here to see the second part of the road to becoming a “Super Daddy.