With more and more men unemployed and underemployed, traditional gender roles are being cast aside in favor of pragmatism – somebody needs to work and somebody needs to take care of the kids, but it’s becoming less and less important who does what. Men forced into the role of homemaker are adapting, and in many cases embracing the opportunity to get to know their children in a way that their own fathers never had the chance to do.
David Chun, 37, was laid off in February 2009. He said that the decision to stay home with his toddler son “just seemed natural.” Chun’s job had kept him out of the house from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM most days. Now he spends as much time with his son as his wife does, watching the baby while she works and spending the days she doesn’t work looking for work and pursuing freelance projects.
Chun, like most stay at home parents, is most troubled by the lack of adult contact and personal space. “For my own sanity I need to see other people,” he says. He finds that personal space by working sometimes at a local Starbucks. Though it was an adjustment for him, Chun says he could see himself staying at home permanently if his family could afford to live on one income. Sadly, they can’t, and Chun recently got a new job so his hours at home are coming to an end. Though the second paycheck will be welcome, Chun is happy to have had the time with his son. “Everett will only be a toddler a short while longer,” Chun says. “I got to see him change from day to day, which is something most dads miss.”
