We place higher expectations on fathers in today's society than ever before. Unlike previous generations, dads today are expected to take a proactive role in caring for the children physically as well as financially.

Gone are the days when a man arrives home from work, loosens his tie, slips off his shoes, and reclines in the Lazyboy with his newspaper, which he thumbs through as he waits for his dinner to be served.

Today, many dads don't get that decompression time after a day at work. Some of the dads pick up their children from daycare on their way home. Others are immediately struck with the hassles of the day while they struggle to make the instant transition from professional to father.

As a stay-at-home mom, I often wondered why my husband would sit in the car for a few moments after he pulled into the driveway. Until, that is, one day when my husband watched our one-year-old, and it was my turn to come home exhausted from a busy and hectic day. How I wished I had stayed in the car just long enough to take a few deep breaths.

Today's dads, much like many of today's moms, must juggle the guilt of not spending enough time with the family with the guilt of not giving it their all at work.

But women seem to have more support with their struggle. Magazine articles, support groups, and websites warn moms of the risks of burning out and the importance of taking care of themselves. They dole out advice on balancing life and relationships. Fathers don't often band together like moms do.

Even while men are expected to independently take on a more nurturing role, they are slammed in the media. We watch television shows that too often portray fathers as bumbling idiots, scared stiff of changing their own baby's diaper and incapable of anything other than watching a ball game and slugging beer. We sit through news reports of deadbeat dads and women who have beaten the odds despite, not with the help of, the men in their lives.