Dads aren't stereotypically the criers and the emotional ones in the family but this doesn't mean they can't cry over their kids. As one dad realizes, he became an emotional person after the birth of his son in 2012. He says, however, he doesn't see crying in dads as a bad thing.
Once dad David Shaul's emotional floodgates opened, he didn't care about holding back his tears. He welcomed the change because it also helped change his entire outlook on life, according to Shaul's Metro piece.
Whether happy or sad tears, Shaul said he noticed the little things more now as a dad, even in something as simple as watching a game show on TV. Crying meant he could empathize and relate to the things he sees or experiences.
Being a crier, however, made him human and not necessarily weak. "Crying isn't a sign of weakness, crying isn't just for girls, and crying doesn't make you inferior to anyone else," he wrote.
Like moms, the emotional changes in a father has a scientific basis. Hormones cause the heightened emotions, according to a 2013 study, as per NBC. The baby's arrival triggers the parents' body to produce more oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone."
Dads' emotions, however, level off or vary over time as the kids grow. It also depends on their attachment and level of interaction with their kids. Fathers who are more involved respond to their children's cries or laughs better. Emotions help dads become more bonded to their sons or daughters.
Netizens celebrate videos of dads crying. There are millions of online videos of dads bursting in tears that surprisingly receive little hate posts from trolls, according to Mel Magazine.
"Because we don't expect men to be emotional, it must be an especially strong emotion that brought them to tears," sociology professor Lisa Wade told the news outlet, adding the public saw these videos as cleansing. "And that's what the viewers are looking for - they're looking for that cathartic emotion themselves," Wade said.
