Stay at home fathers

The number of stay-at-home fathers in the UK has risen 10-fold in the last decade, a survey suggests.

The results of the survey suggest around 6% of fathers, or 600,000 men, are now their child’s primary carer, up from 60,000 in 2000. The majority of stay-at-home fathers quizzed said the reason for this was because the mother earned more money.

The web survey for insurance firm Aviva said the mother earned more in one in six of all the households it surveyed. The figures also suggested 18% of couples shared childcare responsibilities equally.

Adrienne Burgess, research director at the Fatherhood Institute, said the findings showed men wanted to spend “more time” at home. “It just isn’t the same now, there are more women in higher education and are starting to earn quite a lot,” she said. She acknowledged rising childcare costs mean some parents are forced to give up work, but said some men also want a closer rela­tion­ship with their family.

Happy fathers

“Men want to spend more time with their children, men are becoming aware that they haven’t had it all,” she said. “In their relationship with their children they’ve had less contact than the mother.”

The study suggested the men that stayed at home were happier with this arrangement than the women, with 75% of fathers saying they were lucky to spend so much time with their children. Nearly a third of fathers also said they found childcare more rewarding than going to work, but 10% admitted running around after their sons and daughters made them feel less of a man.

In more than two-thirds of households surveyed, one parent had reduced their hours or given up work completely in order to look after their family, with a third saying they did so because of childcare costs.

Some women found the role reversal difficult, with 37% admitting they felt guilty going out to work and leaving their children, but only 9% said they would swap places with their partner and stay at home.

Louise Colley, from Aviva, said: “While both roles are equally valuable, nowadays it’s quite likely that women will be heading off to the office while men are changing nappies and doing the school run.”

BBC News 2/03/2010

Vocabulary notes

survey ['sq:veI] отчет об обследовании

quiz – проводить опрос

acknowledge [qk'nPlIG] признавать, допускать

the role reversal [rI'vq:s(q)l] полное изменение ролей

swap places [swPp] поменяться местами

Analyze the following words

reversal guilty valuable

equally childcare nowadays

majority insurance responsibility

rela­tion­ship arrangement completely

Find the English equivalents

Большинство опрошенных отцов; отцы, занимающиеся воспитанием детей; причина этого; женщины с высшим образованием; близкие отноше­ния с семьей; заботиться о семье; страховая компания; растущая стоимость услуг детских дошкольных учреждений; каждый шестой; в равной степени делить обязанности по воспитанию детей; быть вынужденным оставить ра­боту; начинать осознавать; треть отцов; полностью оставить работу; изменение ролей; чувствовать вину; менять подгузники.

Comprehension questions

1. How many times has the number of stay-at-home fathers increased in Britain in the last decade?

2. What is the main reason for this according to the results of the survey?

3. Why do more and more men want to spend more time with their families?

4. What were men’s opinions concerning staying at home and taking care of their children?

5. What do women think about this role reversal?

6. What is the expert’s opinion concerning the future development of the situation in Britain?

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ACTIVE VOCABULARY

after all – в конце концов, все же

awful ['O:ful] ужасный, внушаю­щий страх

bribe – взятка

bride – невеста, новобрачная

conquer ['kPNkq] завоевывать, по­корять

custom ['kAstqm] обычай

disaster [dI'zQ:stq] бедствие, несчастье

dis­tinctive [dIs'tINktIv] отличи­тельный, характерный

divorce [dI'vO:s] развод, растор­жение брака

equally ['I(:)kwqlI] равно, в рав­ной степени

exchange [Iks'CeInG] обменивать

for one’s part – со своей стороны, что касается кого-л.

invariably [In'vFqrIqbli] неизменно

lazy ['leIzI] ленивый

multitude ['mAltItju:d] множество, большое число

negotiate [nI'gquSIeIt] вести переговоры, договариваться

out of place – не на месте, неуместный

sham – притворство, обман

superstition ["sju:pq'stIS(q)n] cуеверие, предрассудок

value ['vxlju:] ценность

virtue ['vq:tju:] добродетель

Practise aloud

gel custom value weary

neighbour divorce disaster over­seas

equally invariably conquer feminine

multitude recipe incompatible pasture

announcement superstition virtue hygiene