Stay-at-home dads on the rise as women move into exec roles

Stay-at-home dads on the rise as women move into high-paying careers

What you probably already know: The number of men staying home to care for children is on the rise as more women start rising to the executive ranks of finance and other well-paying careers. Women out-earn their husbands in approximately 45% of opposite-sex marriages in the U.S. That’s triple where it was 50 years ago, according to the Pew Research Center, which also found that about 18% of parents who didn’t work outside the home were men. The Wall Street Journal took a look at the trend, which has come into the spotlight thanks to Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, whose husband, Doug Emhoff, gave up his career as an entertainment lawyer to focus on supporting his wife after she became vice president.

Why? Anyone who has tried to juggle a career and family understands the rationale for one family member staying home. For generations, it has made more sense for wives to stay home, as men have traditionally made more money than women. As that dynamic begins to shift, families are making the obvious choice: If someone is going to stay home, it’s likely to be the one who makes less money. In about 29% of opposite-sex marriages, both people earn the same amount, and in 16%, the woman out-earns her husband, according to the Pew Research Center.

What it means: Even when women out-earn their spouses, they often report still doing more household chores and caregiving than their partners. The only time that dynamic shifts is when the wife is the sole breadwinner and the husband no longer works outside the home. And even then, families report that the housework is split evenly between husband and wife.

What happens now? Because it’s still only 18% of stay-at-home parents who are men, there remains a stigma associated with the decision. It can be isolating for the man, who might find himself as the only male parent volunteering at school. Support groups have sprung up to bring together fathers who are seeking to connect with other stay-at-home dads.