Do Dads need their own space – and if so, just how much?

Apparently Brad Pitt has a 'man cave' in his Californian mansion (and also in the one in Louisiana, and the one in the South of France), a room of his own where Girls Are Not Allowed. Angelina seems a pretty independent kind of woman, to put it mildly, so I can't imagine this would bother her much. But it got me wondering how many of your partners have their own space within your home – and whether or not you think this is a good thing.

I can remember my dad spending hours pottering around in the garden, and my son's father has both a shed and a study where he can retreat should the mood take him. And I can think of a few friends who would like nothing better than to see their men disappear up to a room of their own (and preferably not come back down for a few weeks), if only space would permit. Time with 'the boys' is also very important for men of all ages. But I can't help feeling that when dads are at home, they should be interacting with the kids, being part of the family.

Still, maybe the advantage of dads having a 'man cave' is that (theoretically) their 'toys' won't be allowed to overflow into the rest of the house.

Let me know what you think!

written by Liz Jarvis