According to the Office for National Statistics, since COVID, the number of full-time stay-at-home dads has leaped by a third in the U.K. In the U.S., statistics are less concrete. But no one disputes that the stay-at-home dad trend is on the rise. Since data collection agencies define the term “stay-at-home dad” differently, collecting accurate, consistent data remains a problem.
But whether dad devotes all his time to home and offspring, works part-time, or works from home has little bearing. What matters is the families who’ve made this growing trend work for them. A burst of new financial needs has revealed various previously non-existent opportunities. COVID did us one favor: it opened the business world’s eyes to a multitude of workforce solutions. Although some strategies pre-date the pandemic, they rose to their full potential via the necessity of keeping the world afloat.
The upheaval exacted by the pandemic, coupled with shifting attitudes toward parental roles, has destigmatized the concept of dads who care for their kids. And it’s about time because dads can care for hearth and home with the same zest that moms have poured into the task for hundreds of years.
The spike in childcare costs and the unsteady nature of school sessions due to COVID has compelled parents to reassess the best options for meeting their family’s needs. Frequently, having both parents employed full-time outside of the home has proven to be more of a hardship than a benefit. The sacrifice was either too costly, too stressful, or too exhausting. Dads staying home—part-time or full-time—have offered a tangible solution to these new-normal scenarios.
Will the number of stay-at-home dads continue to rise? Without a crystal ball, no one knows. However, the odds remain high for a steady increase. Why? Because it’s unlikely that the trends prompting this new fatherly role will change anytime soon. And without a doubt, today’s dads are more connected, engaged, and involved than dads of generations past. In fact, many are eager to accept the challenge that society once placed solely on mothers’ shoulders.
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