Women's increased participation in the workforce and men's desire to be more present in their children's lives has lead to the 7 per cent increase since 2006 reports the Daily Telegraph today.
University of Technology Sydney sociology lecturer Dr Peter West told The Daily Telegraph that the figures support the growing trend of fathers who are choosing to spend more quality time with their kids, even if it means spending less time at work.
"The baby boomers were more father-hungry than this generation," Dr West said. "Dads are now finding greater rewards from their kids and are being encouraged to by women."
Despite the jump in men choosing to swap their brief case for a nappy bag, research shows men who stay at home find they must deal with social stigma.
Deborah Lupton, Honorary Associate of the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at The University of Sydney, says there are many positive aspects to men being stay at home fathers.
“When men do take on the primary carer role it often results in greater gender equality in the division of labour and in men's support for women in the workplace,” she wrote in her blog for The Conversation.
“Men who stay at home comment that they realise how demanding childcare and housework can be and also how valuable it is for the family's well being.”
“Role swapping has the potential to gradually change assumptions about how "good mothers" and "good fathers" should behave,” says Lupton.
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