ide the home men remain dominant. Women make just 78 cents for every dollar a man earns, according to the Census Bureau. Over his lifetime, an average man earns $434,000 more than an average woman.That may be the reason fathers have a slight edge when it comes to having group or individual life insurance. LIMRA, a global life insurance research and consulting firm, says 61 percent of men owned life insurance policies in 2010, compared to 57 percent of women. The average amount of insurance coverage purchased for women is about 69 percent of that purchased for men.People who skip life insurance coverage often cite "other financial priorities, especially in these bad financial times," says Cheryl Retzloff, senior research director for LIMRA.Married couples are less likely to seek life insurance quotes for wives than for husbands, says Retzloff. In reality, it's important for both parents to have life insurance, especially when you consider how a typical family could be impacted by lost wages if either spouse died."When we ask households why they buy life insurance, the top two reasons are income replacement and to pay final bills and expenses," she says.Dad trapped by an outdated imageDonald N.S. Unger, author of Men Can: The Changing Image and Reality of Fatherhood in America, says there is a good reason why Dad is not more active on the domestic scene. Often both parents are trapped in an outdated concept of men as breadwinners and women as homemakers."At this point what women really need is for men to be doing more at home," Unger says. "It also means giving territory up, which is psychologically hard. Even if you are overworked, you don't want to give up ground."Although dads are cheaper to replace in terms of household duties, they remain highly important as protectors, providers and creators of stability, says Margaret J. King, director of the Center for Cultural Studies & Analysis in Philadelphia. "Dad is wired to deal with the outside world. The ideal dad deals with threats to our well-being."The right directionAmy McCready, founder of Positiveparentingsolutions.com, a parenting education website, says she sees dads gradually "moving in the right direction" by taking on more duties at home. In the mid-20th century, fathers were expected to provide financially for their families and leave the rest to Mom."That is not the measure of a successful dad anymore," McCready says. "Now it is, 'What kind of a relationship do you have with your kids? Are you someone your kids want to confide in and hang out with?'"OK, so dads don't always pull their weight around the house. But many dads are exceedingly good at play, the fun part of parenting, stresses Michele Borba, an educational psychologist and contributor to NBC's “Today” show. Dads have a higher tolerance for the disorder children often crave.A big part of a father's job is helping us build good childhood memories while occasionally looking the other way. "What they do in some ways is priceless," Borba says. "It is the tickling and throwing kids up in the air. And they are not so worried about you getting dirty."The Father's Day Index: Dad's worth this year Dad Job - 2010 Earnings & DataBLS occupation usedHours per week/weeks per yearBLS Mean hourly wageAnnual Dad valueBarbecuingCooks, All Other3 hrs./52 weeks$11.82$1,844DrivingTaxi drivers and chauffeurs9 hrs./52 weeks$11.82$5,532Helping with homeworkTeachers and Instructors, All Other10 hrs./40 weeks$18.72$7,488Family financesAccountants and auditors0.5 hrs./52 weeks$33.15$862Mowing the lawn, landscaping, snow removalGrounds Maintenance Workers, All Other2 hr./52 weeks$13.92$1,448Moving furnitureLaborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand30 mins/month$12.36$74Car maintenanceAutomotive service technicians and mechanics20 hours a year$18.36$367Coaching a teamCoaches and scouts40 hours/year$17.28$691Scout leaderRecreation Workers50 hours/year$12.15$608Assembly of toys, bookshelves, etc.Assemblers and Fabricators, A