Losing your job is a terribly stressful ordeal. Currently, in the UK, the unemployment rate is the highest it has been in almost four years. For expecting and new parents, it’s even worse. In a time when you need financial stability the most, one parent having to go job hunting only adds to the stress of a new baby.
But after this soon-to-be dad got fired, he soon found a business opportunity with a friend. The catch? It wouldn’t pay well and would involve a lot of travel. Naturally, his wife wasn’t too happy about having no support postpartum and possibly being a full-time working mom.
A husband is looking at an exciting job opportunity right as his wife is about to give birth
Image credits: Brooke Cagle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Since it wouldn’t pay well and would involve lots of traveling, his wife isn’t too happy about it
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Phileasfog
Image credits: Sebastian Herrmann / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Many men change jobs after becoming fathers in search of a better work-life balance
Most people probably want to have a job they enjoy doing. Research from Legal & General shows that one in four Britons say they currently have their dream childhood job. Nevertheless, while it’s important to feel fulfilled in your professional life, you might have to make some sacrifices when you have a family to take care of.
Having a baby prompts some fathers to even change careers. The 2019 Millennial Dad at Work report by Deloitte UK and daddilife revealed that one in three dads change their jobs after becoming fathers.
Millennial dads have higher standards for a workplace and the benefits it should offer to working parents. So, once a baby comes into the picture, dads are looking for jobs that can offer a better work-life balance.
Also, the majority of young fathers in the UK are very involved in the day-to-day care of their children. In the Deloitte UK study, 87% of fathers claimed they are mostly or very involved in the daily parenting duties.
So, fathers are looking for more than just a dream job that can leave them fulfilled. They want more flexibility and perks for parents.
“This is incredibly important to note for employers, especially those who may still believe flexibility and ‘family friendly’ policies only impact women, and are not in the realm of interest for men,” the authors of the study note.
There’s no shame in looking for temporary jobs until you find The One, especially when you have to take care of your family. “Once you get hired at a less-than-ideal job, continue your search for something better,” Anjela Mangrum, President of Mangrum Career Solutions, told Parents.
“Go after your dream job, but while employed – being choosy in today’s tight job market could land you in deep financial trouble if you aren’t careful.”
Image credits: Rick Barrett / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Stay-at-home dads are still in the minority in most parts of the world
The couple in this story also raised the hypothetical situation of the dad staying at home and the mom continuing to work. The mom doesn’t mention whether she would be willing to be the breadwinner, but she did say that her salary would be sufficient.
Still, even though there are more stay-at-home dads than ever before, there is still a lot of judgment towards fathers who choose to be primary childcare providers.
In the UK, 1.7% of fathers are stay-at-home dads. In contrast, in the U.S., 5.6% of families have non-working fathers and working mothers. In the EU, only one in 100 fathers takes at least six months off from work to be the primary caregiver of a child.
Even the dad in this story might subconsciously believe he has to be the provider of the family. But experts say that such a mindset can be toxic to parents. “The idea of the male breadwinner, and equally women as ‘natural’ caregivers or ‘maternal’, does harm to men and fathers, because it prevents them from being engaged or involved,” sociologist Brendan Churchill from Australia’s University of Melbourne told the BBC.
“It acts as a social script, which shapes their behaviours and it becomes a bit of a fallback position.”
The wife clarified that she doesn’t want to quash her husband’s dream, but is worried about their finances once the baby comes
People speculated whether the vague job opportunity could be a scam, and told the wife she’s not being unreasonable
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