Dadpreneurs, On the Radar Screen
Posted on 16. Nov, 2006 by Brian Reid in General
Some days, it seems like half of the hits to this site are from folks looking for at-home dad statistics. And though I am glad to oblige, I have often expressed my frustration with how poor at-home dad stats actually are and how many dads they miss. The most notable omission is dads who take income on the side but still remain the primary caretaker.
So kudos to the Wall Street Journal for their piece on Monday titled Double Duty (sub. required), which details the lives of “dadpreneurs,” who have built businesses around their family responsibilities. Sadly, the author, Daisy Maxey, was unable to come up with any number at all for this large and growing group of guys. (In a non sequitur, we cites the Census Bureau’s lousy at-home dad numbers, which is the one stat that absolutely, positively excludes dadpreneuers.)
The story — if you can get it — is well worth it for stories of how guys are pulling off the delicate balance of doing the dad thing and the business thing at the same time, and the analysis in the piece is interesting as well. Maxey quotes an LSU sociologist, Jeanne Hurlbert, saying some wonderful things:
“Social and cultural expectation are very slow to change, says Ms. Hurlbert, ‘but these guys are helping to change them. The more guys we see with pink diaper bags, the less strange it seems.’”
OK … I don’t know where the pink diaper bag thing came from. Us dads have all kinds of manly diaper bag choices now. She must not read Daddy Types. But still, the point holds. And she makes the observation that dads can move between home and work realtively easily:
“…’we still tend to them of [dads] as “businessmen” very easily.’”
All in all, a well-deserved look at dads pulling the ultimate balancing act, and there’s a bonus: a box with tips from dadpreneurs. No rocket science, but nice that they make the effort.
(Full disclosure: the author contacted me, but I was unable to help. And I’m listed in the box for “…selected online resources,” but — let’s be honest — not all the sites listed are that robust. Slowlane, anyone?)
Liz Bywater, PhD
16. Nov, 2006
Social attitudes do tend to lag behind. This makes it more challenging for the at-home working dad to consistently receive the respect and recognition he deserves.
A short time ago, I had the opportunity to chat with Ms. Maxey about this very topic. As she and I discussed, my experience is that women are generally more understanding and empathetic regarding the at-home working parent phenomenon. Men, on the other hand, tend to have a harder time seeing the stay-at-home dad as a competent, successful entrepreneur.
Imagine, for example, the stay-at-home businessman is on the phone with a traditional (male) corporate executive. The sounds of Barney or Sesame Street in the background can be a real turn-off to this type of fellow. A female executive is more likely to find these background noises endearing. She may be even more respectful, in fact, of the dad’s competence in being able to run his business while also tending to the demands of parenting his young child(ren).
How About Two? (Not a PhD)
16. Nov, 2006
Shouldn’t it be dadtrepreneurs?
Darren a/k/a Clare's Dad
18. Nov, 2006
The sounds of Barney can be a real turn-off to anybody. But if I had an important call to someone who I didn’t think would find Barney “endearing,” I’d try to schedule it around Barney or leave the room at least. I know what she means though…there’s a lot of skepticism toward stay-at-home dads.