EU pushes for daddy day care

Aug 07 2007 by Derek Torres Print This Article

Is a new era of daddy day care upon us? European Commissioners are looking for new ways to close the pay gap within the EU and they have come up with some interesting ideas, one of which is the suggestion of stay-at-home dads.

Let's take a look at that idea a bit close - even though some readers are undoubtedly still bristling at the very thought!

As the article points out, the "uneven division of duties in families" is one of the biggest single reasons for the gender pay gap – in other words, men don't pull their weight around the house.

So encouraging men to spend more time at home with the children would enable their partner to spend more time at the office and enhance their own career.

After all, when a child is ill or a parent needs to take time off to take care of anything kid-related, which parent traditionally has that role?

But what about the financial aspect? Obviously, this isn't such a hot idea if it means taking a massive salary decrease. But in this new era of technology, it is increasingly normal to work from home at least some of the time.

While there may still be some men who aren't willing to consider this option solely on ego, there are still some important financial aspects that come in to play. That said, if a workable arrangement can be made so that one's partner can improve their career while dad improves his standing at home, this may be an idea worth considering.

  Categories: