The SAHD Ceiling?
Posted on 10. Jun, 2008 by Brian Reid in General
Each year, careerbuilder.com spends some money to call 1,000 or so dads to ask them if they would be an at-home dad if their spouse could afford to support them. And each year, they end up with about the same number.
This year, they’ve declared that 37 percent of guys would do the full-time dad thing if they could afford it. Last year, the number was also 37 percent. The year before, it was “four-in-ten.” It was 49 percent in 2005, 43 percent in 2004 and 40 percent in 2003. I don’t trust careerbuilder enough to suggest that the numbers are actually slipping. Instead, it looks like the natural upper bound for guys who aspire to be at-home dads (right now) is around 40 percent. Which works for me.
RebelMom
10. Jun, 2008
“More than a third of working dads (37 percent) said they would leave their job if their spouse or significant other’s income could comfortably support the entire family, similar to last year’s findings.”
I don’t find a lot of comfort in that. That’s an easy representation to make when (1) so many moms are at home part or full-time making their earning such a wage unlikely and (2) moms who work outside the home face a glass ceiling and striking wage gap.
Comfortably support? (Many or Most) Dads who are committed to being at home would be flexible re how much income is needed to make the leap.
And why aren’t these men marching into their offices and demanding flex schedules? Simple — they see how doing so has negatively impacted women on the “mommy track.” The are unwilling to make that leap (rightfully so, frankly).
I think this highlights the fact that all involved dads should be feminists — equity for women makes it much more viable for dads to be involved or at home.
Yuri
10. Jun, 2008
I have to admit that being a SAHD is not my first choice…
Even though I work from home it can still challenge me a lot!
Don;t take me wrong… I love spending time with the boy
but sometimes I wish I was anywhere but here… maybe in an office working 9 to 5 (yuck!!)
dunno…
Tom S
10. Jun, 2008
I love being a stay at home dad. I have been doing it full time for over two years and would never go back. I have the best relationship with my daughter. More dads would like it if they tried it.