Rise of the Parent-in-Chief & Stay-at-Home Dads

Here at Fancy Kids, we’ve noticed a lot of recent news about the rise of stay-at-home dads and parents-in-chief, especially since the birth of Mark and Pricilla Zuckerburg’s first child. So, as part of our new though-provoking blog content, let’s take a closer look at this interesting topic.

Parenting Role Reversal

It seems that the days of traditional family life, where mum would stay at home with the kids and dad would go to work, are decreasing. Once upon a time, a woman had to choose between a career and a family, but not anymore. With an increase in younger women climbing the career ladder quickly, it’s becoming more common to have babies at the same time as holding high level positions. As a result, there are more working mothers than ever. Today, parenting is changing and more people are having it all by combining family life with full-time employment. Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer is a great example. After giving birth to her twins, she took just a few weeks of maternity leave before returning to business. Like Marissa, it’s becoming more normal for mums to go back to work and leave the baby at home with dad.

Daddy-in-Chief

Fathers are now taking a more hands-on lead, either by helping out mum or by taking on the main parenting role to raise kids. Recent changes in paternity leave in the workplace such as shared parental leave has made this easier.

Mark Zuckerburg is leading by example for stay-at-home dads around the world. The CEO of Facebook recently welcomed his first child, Max, and announced that he would take two months off work to focus on being a parent to his new daughter. So far, he’s been present at little Max’s swimming lessons, doctors’ visits and even nappy changes!So, what effects does this parental role reversal have on families? Well, as Mark Zuckerburg is proving, fathers having an active parenting role doesn’t just benefit the adults in question; it can also have a wonderful impact on children.

Dads make great full-time care givers and provide a strong role model for their sons and daughters. When dad is around more, children can build a stable and lasting relationship with both parents equally. Additionally, studies have shown that children whose fathers are active participants in their parenting achieve higher grades, are more ambitious and suffer from fewer anxiety disorders and behavioral problems on average. So, what do you think of this parenting role reversal? Are you a stay-at-home dad-in-chief or a mum who goes to work and leaves the kids with daddy? Let us know in the comments below or tell us your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.