Becoming a stay at home parent is a difficult decision to make whether you are a mom or a dad. A stay at home mom will tell you that she faces various discriminations that come with her role so it is important to realise that it is not just stay at home fathers which face discriminations. Choosing to stay at home is a personal decision and is one which some people are unable to understand or relate to if they do not have families of their own and so discriminations are cast especially if it is the father who is the stay at home parent as this is less ‘traditional’. 

The majority of parents who choose to stay at home are mothers and so when a father is the stay at home parent it often results in a few eyebrows being raised and comments past which may not be intended to be insulting or personal but they can be perceived this way as at the end of the day why should it be any different; a father being the one who stays at home to look after the home and children whilst the mother is the one who works? 

Some people may discriminate against a stay at home dad by suggesting that he is not being ‘manly’ enough and not ‘providing’ for his family. In the animal kingdom and in the past it is the male who goes out to work to keep his family alive whilst the female stays at home to look after the children and sometimes people stick to these traditions and are unable to understand how a father can opt to take on a more ‘feminine’ role. They may suggest that he is not doing what he ‘should’ be doing and is ignoring his role in society and in a way letting his family down which can be very hurtful for a family to hear. 

When a Dad stays at home to look after children he may be looked down upon as though he has chosen this option because he isn’t clever enough or able to work so has taken an ‘easier’ option. Looking after children and being a stay at home parent is extremely hardwork whether you are a mother or a father but people who have not experienced this role for themselves can be very quick to judge and so assume that the father is too lazy to work or clever enough.

A Dad can be discriminated against with the amount of activities which are available during the day. Many baby groups are aimed towards mothers and their babies and not fathers, they are even named things like “Moms and tots” and so a father may feel as though he isn’t wanted in the room or isn’t allowed to attend so they may not be able to be involved in many of the activities that are available for stay at home moms. 

When attending day time activities with the children other parents may judge the father and question why he is the one staying at home and not the mother whereas if he was a woman the question may not even arise at all. He may find that women in the groups do not talk to him or are wary of him which can be a form of discrimination. 

The father’s friends may look down upon him and taunt him for this decision too so he may feel uncomfortable around them as they tease him for being a stay at home father instead of supporting him for this choice. 

It is a shame that in society we are trying to strive to be equal and accepted into all areas of life but it is obvious that there are still judgements being made against certain decisions. Being a stay at home parent shouldn’t be looked down upon or discriminated against whether you are a stay at home mom or dad but it does seem to be the case that stay at home dads are likely to face some discriminations seeing as they are in the minority.