According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the recession is putting more men out of work than women. That has led to an increase of stay-at-home dads who are increasingly taking on the traditional women's roles of childcare, housework, school life, and much of the shopping.
The shift is also occurring as women's sharing household duties has become more socially acceptable.
Scott Coltrane, a University of Oregon sociologist who studies the role of fathers, told McClatchy News Service that even before the recession, fathers were taking a larger role in family responsibilities as dual-income families became more the norm.
'We have much more tag-team parenting,' he said.
But the increasing number
of stay-at-home dads means more men are wandering the shopping aisles with
their own particular demands. For instance, Tom Imperato, 62, whose real
estate business collapsed in the downturn, told The New York Times that
he goes to Costco at 11:30 a.m. to avoid lines when food shopping for his
wife and 9-year-old twin daughters. He joined the PTA after losing his
job and immediately noticed that he tends to tackle matters "with
a bluntness honed in the financial industry" while the women "communicate
more diplomatically."
Dads are also steering more purchases. Chuck Hammond, who has been a stay-at-home dad since losing his project management job in early 2008, bought his one year old, Reagan, a bib that says 'KISS me I rock" that mimics the rock band's logo. The bib also shows a "sign of the thorns" two-finger gesture (raised index and pinkie finger) popular among heavy metal and hard rock bands.
According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, stay-at-home dads jumped almost 50 percent from 2003 to 2006. But even with the gains over that period, there were still more than 30 stay-at-home mothers for every father.
The New York Times' article pointed out that with their self-esteem often measured by their corporate status, newer stay-at-home dads are often depressed and some support groups are forming to help with the transition. But their minority status also makes them feel alienated mingling among mothers. Such isolation led Mr. Hammond to start a blog for stay-at-home dads, www.dudesondiapers.com.
He told McClatchy News Service that his wife will go to a store with Reagan and come home with numerous telephone numbers from mothers who want to start a play group. Mr. Hammond said he never gets the invites.
'You'd think women with children would be coming up asking me questions,' he said. "I'm the leper. You don't get invited to that women's network.'
Discussion Questions: What, if anything, should grocers and other stores be doing to accommodate the growth in stay-at-home dads? How would you rate the opportunity in targeting stay-at-home dads?