​​Swedish word of the day: lattepappa

In Sweden, land of gender equality and over consumption of coffee (Sweden is currently ranked 6th in the world) dads have got a new groove called lattepappa.

Either that, or masculinity is dead: you have to pick sides. There has been some harsh debate about this. 

Lattepappa is a term used to describe men taking their parental leave hours walking about town with their stroller and a cup of coffee, or generally men walking around with their kids and a coffee. 

But to many a lattepappa, which simply means ‘latte dad’, is not quite as simple as a father walking around with a kid and a coffee. 

In this article from 2005, around the time the phenomenon first appeared, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet’s Terri Herrera Eriksson, writes ‘A lattepappa is not a term for a parent who prefers a certain kind of coffee, but a term to describe a whole lifestyle. He is often on parental leave for a long time, but spends a good portion of that time developing his style and himself.’ 

There seems to be a connection to hipsters, perhaps since lattepappor are usually men working in culture, often with a good income, living in the trendier, more cultural area of the city, think Söder in Stockholm or the corresponding area in any another city. At least that is where they are primarily spotted.

One might imagine that men taking more parental leave would be praised by feminists. But the phenomenon of the lattepappor was attacked even in its infancy. Back then, some women had surprisingly harsh takes on lattepapporna, the latte dads. Just two months before Herrera Eriksson's article on the phenomenon, Aftonbladet’s columnist Anna Ekelund wrote an article declaring ‘I want to puke on all lattepappor,’ lambasting lattepappor as ‘unsexy’ among other things. 

‘The lattepappor indulge in political correctness. They smile and hope for appreciation. But I just feel sick. Sorry guys, but you don't exactly ooze with masculinity. Is there anything more unsexy than a man with a small baby, on the run from mommy? You just look like male Paris Hiltons with your baby as a Tinkerbell accessory.’

Ekelund’s article, though somewhat controversial, and perhaps more than a little over the top, does get to the heart of why this phenomenon is divisive.

Beyond her distaste for men with infants in baby carriers, Ekelund also expresses some concerns about the parenting role, saying that studies show that it is better that one parent is the primary care, and raising the question of who really is primarily responsible for a child. She even asks why men do not have the right to abortion if they are considered responsible for a child.

Yes, the article takes you on quite a trip only to come back to a sort of 'what is that child doing in the lap of its latte dad?'

Though less controversial now than 17 years ago, lattepappor are still seen by many as a somewhat extreme take on the role of men in Swedish society. 

Divisive as this topic might be, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Very often a lattepappa is just your average man on parental leave (which is very generous in Sweden) spending time with his child while enjoying a big, iced, sugar-free, vanilla latte with soy milk. And where is the harm in that? 

Do you know anyone you would consider a lattepappa? Ask them if they see themselves as a lattepappa, and what defines a lattepappa?

Example sentences:

Conny, ska inte du bli en sån där lattepappa när du blir farsa?

Conny, aren’t you gonna become one of those latte dads when you become a dad?

Jag är så trött på att alla dem här lattepappor tar alla platser på kafeet!  

I am so tired of all these latte dads taking all the spots at the café!

 

Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is now available to order. Head to lysforlag.com/vvv to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.