When Mai and Ringo were in utero, their daddy and I discussed at length how best to adjust our finances and family dynamic upon their arrival. Thankfully, we discovered a workable plan that is keeping us all happy. How validated we should all feel by the writing of my fellow twin mama, Christina Baglivi Tinglof. She reveals how the formerly rote belief -- that “mom is the better stay-at-home parent” -- is being proven wrong for many modern households. |
Dad: The Next Renaissance Man
By Christina Baglivi Tinglof
They’re not babysitters, substitute moms, or househusbands; and please don’t call them “Mr. Mom.” They’re stay-at-home-dads who take their roles as full-time parents seriously. These days, it’s common to see men romping around the playground or perusing the grocery aisles with their kids on weekdays, a time slot in the past dominated by the mom. Although women still make up the majority of full-time caregivers in this country, at-home fatherhood is a growing movement.
The Department of Labor Statistics says it’s impossible to know exactly how many fathers are full-time parents because they don’t have a category that exactly matches. It’s estimated however that two million fathers take care of the kids and the house, nearly double the number from 1990. Obviously, stay-at-home parenting isn’t just for moms.
“I wouldn’t say that we’re a movement or a revolution, but rather an evolution,” notes Peter Baylies, publisher of a quarterly newsletter, At-Home Dad. “A dad with preschoolers at home has little time to reflect on putting together a movement; he is too busy wondering if he can do the laundry when the kids are napping.”
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