Stay at Home Dads

“On Fathers Day, an estimated 159,000 stay-at-home dads, or 2.7 percent of the country's stay-at-home parents -- almost triple the percentage from a decade ago -- will celebrate what has become a full-time job, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.” I think this statistic may be due to a variety of factors. Women are now finishing their high school diploma and entering college to further pursue another career.  With more women seeking higher education they wish to continue their jobs after they started they have children, whether it is they wish to no longer to stay in the house or to help financially support the family.  I think it is more critical that at one point that a man and woman in the family both have jobs, due to the declining economy, many men are losing their jobs therefore are staying home to take care of the children, while the women continue to work. I believe too, that if a man or woman needs to stay home with the child/children that normally the one with the highest income and most stable job is going to continue working to ensure financial stability.  I find that stat astronomical that the number of stay at home dads almost tripled in only a decade, and besides what I predicted could be some of the factors it would be interesting to see what else influenced this increasing trend. One conclusion of this may be that it is now more acceptable for men to be considered a stay at home dad then it was ten years ago, so they are more open about the fact.  I think our society still has view that dad goes to work, mom stays home and does housework, cooks meals, and takes care of the family, but with changing times the structure and how a family functions must change too.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601289_2.html