"Not too long ago, dads onscreen took on the starring role as the fumbling secondary caregiver who didn't know how to braid their child's hair or change a diaper, but according to research, the "useless dads" stereotype is very wide off the mark. In fact, dads currently make up 18% of stay-at-home parents, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. The number of stay-at-home fathers has nearly doubled over the past 30 years, with economic downturns fuelling the trend."
"More than one-third are not working due to illness or disability, some 13% are retired, 13% said they could not find work, and 8% are going to school. Meanwhile, 23% cited staying at home to care for the home or family. Still, this represents a big shift from 30 years ago when 56% of fathers were staying at home due to an illness or disability and merely 4% were doing so to look after their kids."
"Just 5% of fathers were stay-at-home dads at the turn of the millennium. Around 2008, this percentage surged to 9%, yet with a strengthening economy, the share of fathers in the primary caregiver role gradually diminished-until the pandemic hit. In the U.K. as well, research indicates stay-at-home dads surged by a third during the pandemic, highlighting a global cultural shift as many men were compelled, for the first time, to juggle childcare duties while working remotely."
Dads currently make up 18% of stay-at-home parents, nearly doubling over the past 30 years from 5% at the turn of the millennium to surges around 2008 and during the pandemic. Economic downturns and the pandemic drove increases, with U.K. stay-at-home fathers rising by a third during COVID. Mothers still comprise nearly 80% of stay-at-home parents for household care, while fathers' reasons vary: over one-third report illness or disability, 13% are retired, 13% cannot find work, 8% are in school, and 23% cite caregiving. The pattern reflects a shift toward intentional parenting roles among fathers.
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