Emerging House Husbands

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Recommended: Male and female roles in the household

The out-dated stereotype that men are better workers than women is now more laughed at than believed. Yet, the stereotype that women can take care of the household better than a man has not changed. Extensive research proves that “house husbands” are more popular than ever imagined; they have their own websites, groups, and how-to books. House husbands are becoming much more popular, but are they being appreciated the same as house wives were.

The simple definition of a house husband is a married man who either chooses to not hold a career and assume all household responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, bill paying, full child care, and necessary evils such as, buying stamps in the absence of their fulltime working wife. (Heiman 122) It can also be a man who does hold a career but chooses to have a “second shift” by coming home and assuming household responsibilities. At the end of 1987 15% of married men chose to become house husbands (O’Sullivan).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 189,000 full-time, stay-at-home dads in 2002, up 18 percent from 1994. But dads' groups say that estimate is the result of too-restrictive criteria, and they put the number at closer to 2 million. Now, some may not consider this to be a huge leap, but take into consideration the standard of living has also grown. Also, many people still regard women as the care takers of the house, and a man assuming this job is odd and unacceptable. The option of becoming a stay at home dad might be more realistic than it seems. If a father is considering staying at home, they examine their earning power as compared to their partner's. They consider work attire (no need for power suits), as well as commuting costs (gas, wear-and-tear of the car, depreciation, extra insurance costs), daycare costs, and all the other expenses of working (Father Time).

A slight repetitive blemish is embedded along with the idea of house husbands. Women statistically make less than men; even if they are working the same job. (Nair 47) Most employers well tend to give men a better income because they are traditionally the “sole bread winner for their family.” (Arendell 157) They give less to women because they believe she already has a man taking care of her and any children she has. This can easily discourage men because their well-known egos can get the best of them, especially when it comes down to the green.

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