Get Inspired, Be Empowered › Forums › Gender Justice › Our society is becoming more accepting of stay-at-home dads. Reality or illusion? › Reply To: Our society is becoming more accepting of stay-at-home dads. Reality or illusion?
No. As much as we like to romanticize it, Society still hasn’t accepted the idea of stay-at-home dads. This is challenging gender roles because usually, it is the woman who stays at home and takes care of the children and the house, so nobody finds fault with this. However, 39% of Indians view stay-at-home dads as people who are lesser than men. They think that men should work and be the breadwinners while women should be housewives.
Although the percentage of stay-at-home dads is less than working dads, the number is increasing by the day. Many fathers want to be better parents to their children and they want to support their partners so they stay at home and take care of the children.
But isn’t housework work itself? Not only does the parent do the household work but also takes care of the children? It isn’t an easy job to take care of children. Being a parent, especially someone who stays at home is incredibly tough. It requires a lot of hard work. Men realize just how tough women have it when they decide to do their job. It raises the question of just how underappreciated women are for their work.
It’s not just the men who get criticized and mocked for being stay-at-home dads, it is also the women. They are asked why they aren’t taking care of their children and their parenting skills are judged because they want to continue working.
What we need to understand is that children need love from both parents. It doesn’t matter who stays at home. What matters is how parents are taking care of their children. Without it, it would be very difficult for the child.
We admire men for breaking stereotypes but this is what should be expected of men. We do not appreciate stay-at-home moms because we feel it’s their duty, so why isn’t it considered a duty for men as well?
Society needs to change their ignorant mindsets so that couples will not feel bad about the decisions they made, whether the mother or father chooses to stay at home or not.