I was on my former college's alumni website recently and a male college friend of mine said he had been a ....

Question

... 'house-husband' for ten years. His wife went out to work and he stayed at home and looked after the kids and cleaned/cooked etc.

Feminists: many of you say this role is not good enough for you.

If a woman stays at home and relies on a man for income many of you see that as against your principles.

What if a man stays at home and looks after the children and relies on a woman for money etc. Is this against your principles?

Many people say that having one parent at home is very healthy for children. I believe it is.

On the basis that we know it is good for children to have a parent at home: grateful if you would answer the question as posed and don't sidestep it or skew an answer to a question that isn't there as is done so often in this forum.

Answer 1

i would have no problem having my husband stay at home with the kids while i worked, as long as i was making "enough" money to support the entire househould, now if if i wasn't making "Enough" money to support the household then he would have to get a job. and no it's not against my principles...i think both parents should work, i think a child can grow up healthy while both parents work, as long as they come home and spend time with that child.  this is just MY OPINION so don't get rude with me (i'm talking to the others who are gonna post under me)

Answer 2

Most of us don't think it's not good enough for us, nor is it against our principles.  We just like to have the option to choose other lifestyles, and we don't like being expected to be homemakers and/or stay-at-home-moms simply because we're women.

Answer 3

I know no feminist who is against stay-at-home moms on principle.  Most women work because (surprise, surprise!) THEY NEED THE MONEY!  

I am a feminist and a stay at home mom, and I've never encountered any negativity from other feminists.

You cite the alumni website as if being a stay at home dad were freakish.  It isn't.  I know several men who stay home with their kids.

Feminism is about having A CHOICE.

Answer 4

There are many feminists who have stayed home before. We don't care what other people do as long as it makes them happy. I would never stay home, and I wouldn't want to be with someone who did unless he supported himself somehow.

Answer 5

Sounds like a great idea. More people should do it.

Answer 6

Unless my husband couldn't work, there is no way he would sit at home and be a homemaker.  I think that is laziness.  Maybe because since I was little I was told that a man is suppose to work hard, the Bible even says it.  He is suppose to "labor the land"...wouldn't sit right with me.  If we decided I would stay home, I would still have some source of income, Mary K, Avon, selling things on Ebay, so I would never consider myself a housewife, I would be an business owner or consultant...IMO

Answer 7

Staying at home being a homemaker wouldn't work for me, but if a woman makes that choice, then that's great. Ditto for a man.

Answer 8

Actually, I don't have a problem with homemakers. Male or female, they are cool with me. It's not what I'd choose for myself, but not because it's beneath me or anything like that - I just have different goals and enjoy other things more.

I don't want to have kids, ever. But hypothetically if I did... I'll be honest, I would not want to be the one who stayed home. Actually, I would say that one of my conditions for having them would be that my husband would stay at home and take care of them so I could work. Call me a bad person all you want, but I am not really into kids, and I go stir-crazy when I can't get out of the house and work. (I get a week off for Christmas and I am running in circles by the time I go back.) So having a stay at home dad would be ideal. Fantastic, even. I'll even take out the trash and mow the lawn, promise.