Thursday, 8 December 2011

Stay-at-home-dads - a casual, everyday kind of feminism

By Naomi Tarszisz

There is a phenomenon I had heard of but not believed existed - fathers, who choose to stay home and look after their children.
 
The decision on whether or not to go back to work is one that women have been arguing about (and will continue to argue about) for a while now. It's a minefield - do I assert my right to work or do I assert that I am the best person to raise my children or that childcare is so expensive as to negate the effort of work? Do I work because I want to? Or to support a lifestyle that I believe is essential? 

I've gone off topic, haven't I? Sorry, breastfeeding (or my baby ate my brain). Where was I? Oh yes, men can be feminists. Or at least equal opportunists. Everyday I see dads who, because they either earn less or work weird hours, or because they (gasp) want, or choose to, look after their babies. It might be because childcare is so extortionate, but maybe it's because whilst sitting down to discuss things they decided that was what was best for their family. It’s a casual, quiet, everyday kind of feminism that is dependent on a different outlook on life than say, Kyle Sandilands.

Naomi Tarszisz is a mother, digital consultant and yoga buff. She lives in Sydney, Australia. You can follow her on Twitter @naomitarz

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