There are many stereotypes in marriages and families in which the female is the one who takes care of the household. Whether or not a woman stays home full-time or works outside the home full-time, many people in society expect them to do all of the cooking, cleaning, and household chores and jobs .
Men oftentimes are expected to sit on the sidelines of parenting, but that’s not always the case.
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Today, many women do work outside of the home.
In 2021, 71.2% of women age 18 and older with children were reported to be working outside of the home or seeking work outside of the home. This leaves far less time for them to “run the household,” as many expect.
Even when women do stay home full-time to raise children, they are not solely responsible for the home.
As many women share the home with their husband or partner, it’s only fair that men share the brunt of the household work such as cleaning and laundry.
However, many men do not step up to the plate.
Only 19% of men take care of household chores and jobs inside of the home, which is a small percentage in comparison to women who are forced to then pick up the slack.
There are, of course, men who do take on the jobs needed.
Recently, one mom shared a video on TikTok of her husband that went viral for his ability to understand the importance of sharing the load of the responsibilities at home.
Kendra Williams said, “shout out to the cycle-breaking dads.”
Kendra Williams shared that her husband didn’t grow up with a male figure who split the household responsibilities with his mother, so he’s breaking that cycle by splitting them with her.
In the video, her husband even has her son helping out.
The dad was even teaching his son to take on responsibilities by having him help out with the laundry that he was doing in the video. Teaching young boys to do the work early sets them up for success in the future.
Many people on TikTok praised the dad for doing the right thing.
“Yes!!! Someone today asked my husband if I keep up with the house like I’m this isn’t 1950 sir,” shared one TikTok user. “Shoutout to the secure mums that let them and not mollycoddle their child away,” said another.
As it turns out, dads who help out in the household actually inspire their kids in the long run, too.
A new study published showcased that the less a man does in the home, such as traditional chores that are important for the upkeep up the household, the more their daughters may be impacted.
Young girls who have mothers who take on the stereotypical “housekeeper” roles tend to aspire for the same.
The study produced that if a father “explicitly endorsed a traditional division of household tasks, had stronger implicit associations of women with home and men with work,” and “reported contributing less to household tasks and childcare,” that their daughters paid the price.
The reason behind this, according to the study, is that fathers set a good “model” for future partners.
The study indicates that fathers can model their daughter’s future life partners and husbands, so if they are typically looking toward women to keep the household chores done, their daughters tend to think it’s the normative way.
Fathers who are also home more can have the ability to shape their daughter’s dreams.
The study says that dads who are home more with their families tend to be able to help shape their career goals and dreams. Insights about dad’s own careers can help daughters to seek outside dreams and further their ambitions, too.
Even if their wife doesn’t work outside of the home, men contributing changes a lot.
Especially if their wife is a stay-at-home mom and wife, keeping up with chores can be extremely helpful not only to their wife, but also showcasing to their children that dads can do it all and so can moms.
In a world where many young girls are placed in a “box”, this is detrimental.
Young girls nowadays are always given confinements and limitations for who they can be and how they can act, based on society’s expectations of them. Dads who help out more can help break that cycle.
The study’s author says that dads play an important role in society overall.
Alyssa Croft, who is the study’s author and PhD candidate in the University of British Columbia’s Department of Psychology, says that these efforts from dads can help create more gender-equal workspaces and create more female leaders in industries.
Overall, when dads help in the house, it’s good for the entire family.
Every mom wants a night off where she can kick back and relax and not have to worry about laundry and dishes. And, it’s good to know our kids are picking up on the things dad does, too.