Why learn how to fix things when you can employ someone to do it for you seems to be the motto of the 21st century. According to a new study, dads are no longer the go-to person to fix things around the house.
Furniture around the house is a lot less complicated thanks to the rise of global chains like IKEA and Walmart, which is probably why millennial dads are no longer as handy as their forefathers around the house.
But it’s not just at home. The study by Alarm.com says that millennial dads are less likely than their baby boomer ancestors to be able to change a car tire on the side of the road, unblock a toilet or sink, and reset a tripped circuit breaker.
Younger dads between 1981 and 1996 are also less likely to own tools that were considered essential in the pas. 46 percent of millennial dads reported not owning a cordless drill. 48 percent don’t own a stepladder, 38 percent don’t own a set of screwdrivers, and 32 percent don’t own a hammer (a tool owned by 93 percent of baby boomer dads).
So why exactly is there a decline in dad’s doubling up as the handyman?
One of the reasons put forward by the study is the rise in mordern technology around the house.
“Modern technology is harder to install or fix without an element of professional support. Installing a smart lock or a doorbell camera, for example, requires more support than installing their old-school equivalents,” the study claims.
Another reasoning is that the dad is no longer shoeboxed into this distant figure around the house. Today’s fathers are much more involved in the day-to-day activities like childcare, housework and other family activities.
61 percent of the millennial dads polled said they’d rather hang out with their kids than spend that time on DIY—and nearly half feel that they’ve done a better job than their own Dad at spending quality time with their children.
So, there you have it, cut the millennial dads some slack.
