Stay-at-home fathers in Australia..

Stay-at-home fathers in Australia

Good to see this trend is on the rise..

 

My husband would love it! We both have similar education/earning capacity but it’s much easier for me to get part time work and we both work for a flexible employer in this regard. Still a long way to go...

 

I would love to be married to one of those but men these days are just too independent.

 

The silent minority group that is just getting it done!
I was part of the SAHD's for the 2016 census and also delivered the census letters with the kids that year

It would be interesting to see the stats where neither parent is the "main bread winner". Eg parents sharing the work hours but not totallying 40hrs to one parent.
There are a lot more families sharing the load with part time work. We know a few families doing this and we are actually looking into so that we both are avail to look after the kids while the other works. Eg Mrs works 3 days, Mr works 2 days.
With the shift work and flexible work options now available it is easier to make up the weekly income with sacrificing family time. My wife is a midwife and will look to do nightshifts and/weekend shifts for the penalty rates and I'll pick up something part time. We know how much income we need per week, we just need to find the best fit to work as little as possible and most amount of time with kids

 

Mate of mine (used to work for me in the music industry) earned less than his wife and had no potential to earn more so as soon as Mat leave was up for her she went back to work and he became a SAHD, worked well because he is way more paternal than she is maternal. I think it's great, shunning outdated views for a more logical and equal approach

 

I love seeing men on their own wheeling prams/strollers around the lake paths with their little ones. Would never have happened in my day ...

 

My sister says whenever the kids are sick at school she gets a phone call... or multiple. (She's unable to answer her phone while she's at work.) The instructions they've already given the school is to have them call the father in this circumstance. But they never do...

 

But you know what a common comment is... "daddy has the day off work today" or mr mum

 

your brother in law needs to make a complaint to the school principle about their "sexism" behaviour,

 

Or that hes "babysitting"

 

Yeah definitely. It was more the older generations that would say. Most of the times it was harmless sometimes it came across not the nicest. I always wanted to say something horrific like "my wife was hit by a bus" to see the reaction and maybe make people think but just couldn't do it. .....I'll keep it up my sleeve though

 

With my 2nd child, once I had been at my employer for 12 months I applied to go part time. I went from 5 to 4 days a week. Real days, not extended 4 days to make up the time. This allowed me to spend an extra day with my little girl and it allowed my wife to go from 3 days to 4 which was a boost for her career because she was treated "differently" due to the 3 days.

With my 1st child, I would have liked to do this but my previous employer flat out refused citing rubbish operational reasons.

I think more men would like to go part time like this, but due to workplace discrimination and weak family protections in Fairwork laws they choose not to.

 

There were very few doing the stay at home dads lifestyle when I did that job for over 12 years day in day out Bob,so I understand about the way some people will look down on you walking in in the morning and waiting outside each afternoon and this was a high entry cost private school best investment we ever made ..The funny part was when pickup time each afternoon and the pecking order between several Ladies .. As it goes very fast Bob enjoy every second ..

 

I think this happens at the other end too - more older workers would like to job share or go part time.

In two years hubby would love to go 3/2 days over a fortnight and job share with someone who wanted the same - but past experience has taught that it would be unlikely they'd employ the second person and he would still be expected to work 5 days worth in that 3 days.

 

As older workers, I had no trouble at all changing to 4 days per week this year. My hubby is still working on it, in April. He is 4 years older than I am.

 

Have a male colleague who has been working 4 days a week to spend time with kids and has been doing it for years. His wife works full time. I work in IT so it's a male dominated industry. Most people are envious of his position rather than judgemental. I'm looking at dropping to 3-4 days once my wife goes back to work after mat leave. Finance dependent of course. Times are definitely changing. And to those who judge the SAHD, who cares? Dealing with a few negative looks or comments pales in comparison to being able to spend more time with my kids while they're young.

 

I dropped back to 4 days/week when our first daughter was born, then when the twins were born, we moved back to Newcastle and I became stay at home dad, while my wife continued working - 2 days in Sydney and 2 days from home.

I was out of the workforce for almost 4 years, managed to get back in without too much trouble but there was only full time on offer. I've been back working for almost 3 years, and at the start of this year I was able to drop back to 4 days/week again. On my "day off" I teach 2 classes of Primary Ethics at my kids' school, then do reading groups and sometimes work on canteen. It is awesome - I really enjoy seeing my kids in "their" environment, I think it shows a different side of the personality, and you get to know their friends better too.

My wife is still doing 4 days/week (we have different non-work days), and it certainly helps with the work/life balance!

Cheers,
Inertia.

 

i volunteer to be a stay home dad, my wife said no ...