There is a “new normal” – more and more stay-at-home dads take care of their children while moms work from 9 to 5.
No doubt that the great recession has temporarily increased the number of stay-at-home dads, making it almost 2.2 million by the end of 2010. Naturally everyone assumes that not all the guys were choosing to stay at home, but were foisted to do so. But in fact, most of the fathers willingly choose to stay at home and care for their children, instead of working full-time.
Sometimes it’s not viable for families because of earnings and flexibility at work. For instance, a journalist may not earn much as compared to his wife or a lawyer may have to work for 90 hours a week, which might not be suitable for families.
But, the society is not yet ready to accept fathers as full-time caretakers and assume that the stay-at-home thing is temporary and the dads will soon rejoin the workplace. They somehow forget to consider that they are already having a full-time job of being a father.
Even when stay-at-home dads decide to rejoin the workplace, the corporate world does not treat them well. They face a rough time in getting a secure job and are often advised to take up some voluntary work. It’s quite easier for moms to get back to work, but as fathers, it is not the same.
We usually hear women complain about getting back to work after having kids or after being a stay-at-home mom, but when it comes to guys, you just need to multiply the difficulty level by 5 or maybe more than that.
While mothers are often depicted as doing the hardest job in the world, fathers are more likely to be seen as bungling fellows who know nothing about how to change a diaper or serve a meal to the child or dress children in a presentable manner. These comments often come from women, other men, or even the media. Dads who willingly take the responsibility for child care make important contributions, and they shouldn’t be emasculated or ridiculed.