Stay at home dads, are they becoming more common?

[LM-1234]

So my husband and I had similar jobs when we met. We got married and our little girl was born in April last year, and suddenly I wanted to get back to work and my husband was wanting to stay at home and look after her. It was perfect for us really because we both loved the situation and it worked out so well for us. He is a muscian part time so earns extra money by doing a couple of shows here and there but gets to be at home with our little girl most of the time. Have you done this yourself or know of a couple who has? People have said to us it's becoming more common now. And I say as long as the baby is loved and looked after it shouldn't matter who the 'breadwinner' is. Thoughts?

[Buenchico]

Quote:
"The number of stay-at-home fathers has risen tenfold in the last decade, with 600,000 men now the primary carer, according to a recent poll".
(Well, that's if you believe The Sun, April 2010, anyway!)
http://www.thesun.co....tay-at-home-dads.html

[welshlibranr]

totally agree LM, as long as they are loved and cared for, doesn't really matter which parent does the caring, as long as they do it well!........

[ladybirder]

Same as welsh.

[wolf63]

Perhaps in the past men wanted to stay at home but felt that it would be seen as a man doing 'women's work'. It doesn't matter what the gender of the person looking after the children is - what matters is the relationship between the parent and the child.

I'm female and have no desire to have children and have no maternal instinct at all. My 'babies' have four legs and I am happy with this.

My brother is married and they have three children. Both he and his wife are excellent with the children and they share all the childcare chores out between them. They both work full-time but someone is always available to pick up from school and to take them to school.

My little boy cat is demanding tuna - I have to obey ......

[askyourgran]

Much better to be hands on parents than farm them out every day. Unfortunately for a lot of us that is what we had to do. Lately I've heard of several women who earn more than their husbands so the husband has opted to stay at home for the children.

[ChocolatChip]

My father was a stay at home dad, as my mother owned her own business. And I'm still very close to my dad. Although it has often caused some problems with my mother, as she felt jealous and that she was letting me down by not being around.
i understand why she did it now, as my family are well off thanks to her. But when I was a little girl and through some of my teenage years it caused a lot of angst that she wasn't there for me.

[boxtops]

Yes, I know several couples where the man stays at home - the woman in each case has a greater earning capacity and a career to follow, and it's a very happy arrangement.

[welshlibranr]

well, choc, you know, we ca/t have it all ways!..........and you came out fine!.........

[boxtops]

The opposite can arise though, with youngsters rarely seeing their dads.... it's one of those dilemmas. I see no reason why dads shouldn't stay at home if that is what everyone wants to do.

[Yours-Mine-Ours]

Absolutely as long as the children are cared for it shouldn't matter which parent. It's wonderful that your daughter can have a parent to look after her all day, not every couple is fortunate enough to do that. My husband's family have a business that we all work at, so we're in a fortunate situation to be able to work different days and split working and being at home.

[ChocolatChip]

Don't get me wrong Welsh. I fully understand and respect what my mother did for my family. But as a child and a 'rebelious' teenager, I didn't see it that way! Even to the point where I would consider working and my husband being a stay at home dad if the money was required.
I'm just simply putting out there another perspective.
My mother and I have a very good relationship now.

[Nini74]

we had our wee one in october - i went back to work in June and my hubby takes care of the baby. while we both earn the same money, my job is more regular (same money on same day every month), whereas his can fluctuate month to month, so we decided best for me to go back than him.suits us just fine, but i see your point - if we were in this situation in the 1970s would we have been frowned upon more?

[boxtops]

In the 1970s. my MIL said very firmly to me that a mother's place was at home with her child. I thought otherwise!