Another Today Show segment on at-home dads? Yep, they are on fire with ongoing public displays of this amazing family role reversal. This particular segment is a follow-up to a September-issue Marie Claire article: “When roles reverse: The rise of the stay-at-home husband” by Hilary Stout.
The segment includes the usual formula – a heartfelt, positive, and honest look at an at-home dad (Jason Sperber & his breadwinning wife) + live studio analysis & discussion with Matt Lauer and Joanna coles, editor-in-chief of the Marie Claire magazine. Overall, the segment did not offer anything you might consider groundbreaking but certainly offered some reassurance that these “once unique” situations are becoming more common. For example, take the subtitle that was flashed up on the screen several times during the segment – “No MORE Mr. Mom: Stay at Home Dads in 2010.” Also, I truly enjoyed Sperber’s quote that what he is doing “isn’t babysitting, it’s parenting” as well as the in-studio conversation calling many reverse family situations as having “an enlightened relationship.”
Lastly, just wanted to mention that more research studies are starting to focus on at-home dads and their breadwinning wives. In fact, last winter, my wife & I participated in a research study with Caryn Medved, an associate professor of communications at Baruch College in New York. Medved is conducting a study of 45 families with female breadwinners. Based on her research, she was included in the Marie Claire article: “Medved says that most couples adapt. While the guys listed a number of challenges, she said, they also talked about what a deeply rewarding experience it could be. “I’ve had men crying when I interviewed them,” Medved says. “I remember a man in Utah who talked about the ability to be a father in a way his father couldn’t, and the joy he felt in seeing his children grow.” I look forward to learning more about the results of this research study in the coming months.
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