From books to TV, magazines to the Internet, it is not hard to find mothers venting about how difficult it is to find the perfect balance between work and child rearing. Juggling a career plus the responsibilities that go along with being a wife and mother takes a tremendous amount of energy, discipline, patience, and hard work. However, according to a new survey, moms are not the only ones trying to do it all and feeling like failures in the process.
Researchers at the Boston College Center for Work and Family recently released the results of a survey in which working fathers admitted that while they would like to share child-raising duties equally with their spouse, they don’t know how to do so.
According to the findings many dads are conflicted about finding a work-family balance.
Sound familiar?
The survey queried nearly 1,000 American fathers who held advanced positions in a variety of professions. Interestingly, the majority of the respondents (more than 60 percent) rated job security and flexible working hours as more important than high income. Still, only one in 20 dads took more than two weeks off from their jobs following the birth of a child.
The survey also found that dads, who spent more time with their children, had more confidence in their parenting skills. What’s more, researchers say that 53 percent of the fathers surveyed would consider staying at home if it was financially feasible. Experts maintain that the finding suggests the role of stay-at-home dads is becoming more socially acceptable and that having a work environment that is family-friendly is critical to finding a healthy balance between career and child rearing.
Would your husband ever consider becoming a stay-at-home dad if the price was right? If your spouse was willing to do the bulk of the child rearing would you be more apt to work outside the home?
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