All in The Family

    If you type "Nuclear Family" into Google, you will be bombarded with images of the stereotypical family; Mom, Dad, Son, Daughter. In the nuclear family, the father is the bread winner, holding a steady job to support his family. The mother's job is to have/raise the children while tending to household chores. This is how the majority of families were in the past, however, times have changed. Today, many parents both work, not only the father. Women have full-time careers in which they are extremely successful. Sometimes, as discussed in Sara Eckel's article, Dad-Mom Role Reversals, the mother is the breadwinning of the family while the father stays at home raising the children. This may have been completely taboo in America years ago, but it is generally acceptable today.
    Eckel discusses how although this change in roles is sometimes financially necessary due to the ever-changing job market, this can cause issues with the "man of the house" staying home with the kids. The media, including TV shows and movies, portray men as the head of the household, and instill in men the idea that they need to support their family in financial ways. So when this ideal changes and a man's wife is bringing in more money, it can cause serious self-esteem issues for the husband. Seen as "Mr. Mom," a stay-at-home dad may have a difficult time adjusting to the idea of raising kids. A couple discussed in the article, The Smith's, faced these issues when Stefania's husband lost his job. She had to pick up a part-time job on top of her at-home coaching business. While she was supporting the family financially, her husband, Darren, became a full-time dad. He explains the struggles he faced, such as not knowing that the clothes his daughter was wearing out of the house were pajamas. It took some time, as it does for most stay-at-home dads, but Darren eventually got into a routine of being Mr. Mom.
     Eckel's article states that, "51% of all workers on U.S. payrolls are women, compared with 33% in 1969." This is a significant statistic; just think about it. More than half of all workers are women, which mean that if they are married, their husbands may not be the bread winners of the family. They may need to stay at home with the children in order for the family to live comfortable. As a woman, I see nothing wrong with this concept, but I can understand that as a man this may be emasculating. My hope is that as this becomes more common, it will be more tolerable for men and women to deal with. I plan to have a strong medical career in my future, which means that depending on the career of my future husband, I may bring in more money than he does. I would have no problem being the provider for my family, therefore I need to find a man that understands and supports my career goals, knowing that he may need to take care of the home-life.