“My dad never sacrificed his sleep, but he is doing it with a smiling face for us.”
Sunny Sandhu teaching the alphabet to his daughter, Avreet Kaur at their house in Taradale Calgary on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Sandhu works part-time time take care of his daughter while his wife is at work. (Photo by Snehpreet Kaur)
Fathers are increasingly stepping up to share the responsibilities of parenthood, ensuring a brighter future for their children.
According to Statistics Canada, “The number of single-earner families with a stay-at-home parent dropped from 1,487,000 in 1976 to 493,000 in 2015. Families with a stay-at-home mother declined by 1,025,000, whereas those with a stay-at-home father increased by 32,000.”
In Canada, more fathers are giving up their careers to take care of their children at home.
“I left my job as a trucker because I had to take care of my children.” Said Sunny Sandhu.
Sandhu’s wife, Satinder Kaur, is a registered nurse who often has long shifts at the hospital, leaving no one at home to take for their children.
“It is very difficult to pick and drop children from daycare as there is a clash of schedule of my work and the timings of daycare.” Said Sandhu.
Sunny Sandhu playing with his daughter, Roseleen Kaur at their house in Taradale Calgary on Thursday, May 23, 2024.Sandhu works part time take care of his daughter while his wife is at work. (Photo by Snehpreet Kaur/The Press)
According to NerdWallet, “$8,068 is the monthly expense for a family of one to five in Canada.”
Dundas Life says, “The average income of a single person is $4,942 per month in Canada.”
It becomes challenging for one person to support his family and manage the expenses.
Many parents are struggling to take care of their children, by sacrificing their sleep and hobbies.
“My dad works at night and my mother works in the daytime, so that one of them should be there with us.” Said Manisha, who lives with her two siblings, five and 13 and her parents.
According to dailydads.com, “the father was the stoic figure resting in his chair at night, not to be disturbed as his spouse handled the household activities.” But it is evolving with time.
“My dad never wants to sacrifice his sleep, but for us, he is doing it with a smiling face…. He cooks and does every household chore in the absence of my mother,” said Manisha.
Not only in Canada but the numbers are increasing in Australia as well.
Around 80,00 Australian families now have a stay-at-home dad at the helm, according to research released by the Australian Institute of Family Studies in 2018.
Technological developments are also playing a vital role in the contribution of fathers in parenting.
According to Forbes, “with the rise of remote and flexible work models, it is becoming more common for fathers to work from home and take care of the children, while still contributing to the family income.”
