Author Topic: Dad stays home while Mom pays the bills (Read 807 times)

Matthew · « **on:** June 06, 2014, 02:03:12 PM »

Stay-at-home dads are no longer such a rarity on the playground.

The number of stay-at-home dads has nearly doubled since 1989, according to a new Pew Research Center report released Thursday.
Numbering 2 million in 2012, men now represent 16% of stay-at-home parents -- up from 10% in 1989.
Driving this growth is a surge in the number of men who are staying home purely because they want to care for their children. The number of dads in this camp has quadrupled from 5% in 1989 to 21% in 2012.
But not all dads stay home by choice. In fact, the majority have fallen into this role because they can't find a job or are dealing with a health issue.

In 2012, 23% of dads said they stay at home because they are unable to find work -- up from 15% in 1989. And the biggest share, or 35%, say they are in this situation because they are ill or disabled -- a percentage that is down significantly from 56% in 1989.
Stay-at-home dads are twice as likely to lack a high school diploma as a working dad, and nearly half of at-home dads live in poverty (often because they don't have a working spouse) -- versus only 8% of working fathers.

The situation is similar for stay-at-home moms. One of the traits that separates the two is age: Only 24% of at-home fathers are under the age of 35, compared to 42% of stay-at-home moms. And dads are twice as likely to be 45 or older.

The number of stay-at-home moms has also been on the rise as many women struggle to find jobs that pay enough to cover the cost of childcare, according to a separate Pew report released earlier this year.
There are different definitions of a stay-at-home parent. Pew's report includes both married and unmarried fathers with children under the age of 18, and does not take into account whether or not their spouse or partner worked during the previous year. The Census Bureau takes a more limited approach, estimating that there are only 214,000 stay-at-home dads in the country.

Frances · « **Reply #1 on:** June 06, 2014, 02:44:30 PM »

:dancing-banana:
If both mom and dad are Hispanic or black, mom is more likely to be hired for a manual labor, low wage job. It happens even if dad has a college education. If he applies for work commensurate with his education, he competes with white and Asian candidates. (The public sector is an exception, but there are only so many positions available.) If dad tries for a low wage job, he is turned away as "over-qualified.". Mom is more likely to lack higher education, therefore ends up working several low paying part time jobs while dad stays home with the children.
Before everyone begins to down thumb me, please note that I'm speaking in generalities, not specifics.
Feminism is also to blame. Many times the woman has a college degree, starts a career, then decides in her late 20s to 30s that she wants to be a mother. She finds slim pickings among college educated men of her age, so she settles for a younger man or an immigrant. She marries , gets pregnant, and discovers that she can't or won't live on her husband's income. So it's back to work and dad becomes a house-hubby.
Whatever the situation, it is certainly not optimal for mom to go to work and dad spend his days changing diapers and managing play dates.

Cantarella · « **Reply #2 on:** June 06, 2014, 03:46:13 PM »

Another symptom of the general diabolical disorder we are experiencing. Back in the old times, our grandfathers would be ashamed for letting this happen.

In a healthy Christian society, women and men have different, well established God-given roles for the establishment of the family, basic institution of society. Wife, mother, nurturer for the woman. Husband, father, and provider for the man (unless chosen the single or religious state of life). The devil delights on REVERSING the order of everything. Nowadays, we have countless examples of this general reversal of established order.

No children should be left without their mothers. Mothers should stay home...making HOME, no matter what sacrifice must be made.

Tiffany · « **Reply #3 on:** June 10, 2014, 03:34:02 AM »

Frances has a good point, many women's jobs are more recession proof & offer benefits like in healthcare or education. There are always school cafeteria workers and nurses aides. Factories seem to be shutting down or laying off all the time.

Capt McQuigg · « **Reply #4 on:** June 10, 2014, 11:15:11 AM »

Either things are tough all over in the job market or moral confusion grips these people.