NITA

I too have an elderly parent to care for.

I didn't say anything about you not being fit to wipe my boots that was your hysterical conclusion. Typical of single women when anyone suggests trying to improve things for mothers.

Rob, you have a very limited understanding of pay equity. While you say that it's women's 'life-style' choices which make them have a lower average income then men, you also fail to recognise that there is a wealth of research which also shows that women are streamed into these jobs - through socialisation, educational choices at school, vocational guidance which channels girls into traditionally 'female' jobs, through to hostile, male-dominated work cultures rife with sexism and sex discrimination. Women's 'choices' are constrained by the society we live in, just as men's are too, to a lesser extent, but at least men are socialised into higher paying jobs, which compensates somewhat. Women do make up the majority of part-time workers, which decreases average weekly earnings, but they are also clustered in lower paid industries and occupations. If men decided to become more involved with parenting - and I think your argument that men only stay at home when this is 'what his wife wants' is spurious - then men too could work part-time. And wouoldn't it be a nice world if both parents could work part-time, and raise the kids?

Jeane
How unfortunate. It is just a coincidence then that women happen to be 'streamed' away from all the hard, dirty and dangerous work - what a disadvantage, I wonder how you cope.

I have been a stay at home dad and I know that I was viewed by many people, including a judge at the Family Court, as a bludger for taking that role and it played a pivotal part in my ex being given custody of both of our children despite the fact that she worked full-time away from home and I worked part-time at home, both children preferred me as their custodial parent and she admitted to abusing the children.

Ah Rob, that explains some of the attitude - you are bitter from your own experience. Yes, there are more men than women that work in dirty and dangerous conditions. Are these men capable or working elsewhere? If so, why the heck arent they? These are not the professionals that you were referring to in your earlier posts.

Another point to ponder - is the reason that there are more men in these jobs because women are generally excluded from them, mostly by the men in there? These situations are changing though, as workers become more scarce in general. My sister is a dump truck driver in a gold mine that runs 12 hour shifts. She loves it, and within 18 months of starting has been asked to train for the position of Leading Hand.

yes I take your point about 100% financial support and main income earner being generally different. Depends on what you class (or the study classed) as 100% financial support. I class it as paying the household bills. I am the main income earner in my house and also financially support my husband 100% (in that I not only pay for the house bills in entirety and the childcare, but also pay some of his business expenses as well).

A lot of the problem with dad's being at home, is other mens perceptions of it. One of my husbands mate was a stay at home dad for 2 years (and will be again once his wife goes back to work after having another baby). The response from most of his mates (including my husband - go figure), is "bludger". Now, if all he did was do as he pleased, then yes he would be a bludger. BUt anyone who has run a household while being the at home parent is not a bludger. There is more than enough to keep even the most efficient person very busy, even before you get into the realms of taking the kids to the park, playgroup, doing tuckshop duties etc.