With Father’s Day just around the corner, we’re all thinking about the important roles dads play in our children’s lives.
And while Dad can always be relied on for practical help, it appears that there are some topics dads hate having to discuss with their kids.
A new poll commissioned by Gillette found that among the topics dads most dislike having to talk about are sex, marriage and oddly enough car maintenance!
Three-quarters of dads surveyed said they found discussing sex with their offspring “embarrassing.”
One in five dads said the topic of personal grooming was difficult to discuss while one in 20 dreaded talking about car maintenance.
The survey also sought the opinions of sons on where they got advice from.
While most said they would first consult the internet for advice on sex, personal grooming and car maintenance advice, one in four still thinks their dad gives the best advice.
The survey of 1,000 dads and 1,000 sons found that embarrassment and lack of knowledge were the main reasons why dads felt uncomfortable giving advice.
In fact, one in three dads have tried to get out of an awkward conversation by pretending not to hear or giving a vague answer, according to The Mirror.
32 percent have tried to completely dodge the question, while 44 percent have tried the tactic of giving a vague answer and then changing the subject.
One in four used “I don’t know” as a standard response to difficult questions, while 17 percent went selectively deaf when an awkward subject arose.
However, such stalling techniques didn’t always work and 18 percent admitted that their children saw through their bluff, while one in ten had a falling out with their children over their lack of help.
One in 20 dads admitted they’d even given poor advice or wrong advice on occasion.
Despite all their failings, however, sons still trusted their fathers’ advice, with one in three sons saying they turn to their dad for advice first and one in five saying they would be lost without the help and advice of their father.
Sex was rated as the number one most difficult topic to talk about, followed by relationships and marriage, dating, hygiene and personal appearance.
Further down the list were money, fashion and clothes, work or career choices, car maintenance and DIY.
We hope all the wonderful dads out there will have a very happy Father's Day.
