When Stuart Kipnis, a 45-year-old Lincoln Square father, decided to become the primary caregiver for his infant son, Liam, both above, he expected to face the usual parenting challenges, like Muppet overload and a marked lack of intelligible conversation. But Mr. Kipnis never dreamed he would be rejected by a play group because he was a father.
It all started when Mr. Kipnis, a genial personal trainer, spotted a flier for Little Lincoln Logs, a local play group intended for parents with children from newborns to age 5. He sent an e-mail message, figuring he fit both criteria. The response: Not so fast. Apparently in this case “parents” meant “mothers” — several of whom were not thrilled by the idea of a strange man coming to their homes for group-sponsored play dates.
Undaunted, Mr. Kipnis and Liam attended a “public” Lincoln Logs meeting in a local park. And eventually, he won over the opposition — the handful of members with the most serious reservations. He was welcomed into the group, and now reports that a second stay-at-home dad has been accepted into the fold. “I definitely feel,” Mr. Kipnis said, “like I broke the gender barrier.”
[...] A brief about a dad breaking the play date gender barrier. [...]