Who should be breadwinners?
It is generally believed that fathers should be breadwinners while mothers should stay at home to take care of children. However, more and more families are changing this stereotyping and the term “stay-at-home dads” is coined. It is interesting to investigate this phenomenon.
To commence with, there are many pull factors causing this phenomenon. For instance, the earning power of some mothers is growing. Some fathers stop working because of their wives’ more-than- sufficient incomes. For example, if the mother is a doctor, she is able to make enough money for the entire family. However, the children need somebody to take care of them. Thus, the father can become the stay-at-home dad. Moreover, since feminism has become more prevalent, it is more common nowadays to witness the transformation of gender roles, not only in the family but also in the workplace.
Besides, there are some other factors affecting the phenomenon. One of them is the stereotyping in Chinese society. The traditional thinking of people may make stay-at-home dads face some harsh challenges. Their friends and neighbours may make some bad comments about them. Some conflicts may occur between stay-at-home dads and their relatives. These will affect their relationships with others. In addition, stay-at-home dads have to face social isolation.
As aforementioned, some people may not approve this new role of these men in the family. They will be unable to get acceptance from some people. In addition, since most children are taken care of by their mothers, these dads can hardly get peer males’ support. Few people can understand their situation. Therefore, stay-at-home dads may suffer from social isolation, and it is not good for their mental health.
Furthermore, some stay-at-home dads may need to consider that it is hard for them to get a job again in the future. This is because they are not familiar with the ever-changing workplace environment anymore. Therefore, most men still need to overcome myriad of obstacles before they make the decision to stay at home, to take care of their children.
In my opinion, the trend of stay-at-home dads is the sign of the advancement of “Equal Opportunities”; and it means the gender roles are now changing. People should be more open-minded for it can be a healthy and good change for the future!