This Dad’s Life in lockdown is a guest post by Han-Son of DaddiLife.
If there’s a silver lining arising from the Covid-19 pandemic it’s that countless more children will have seen and spent more time with their fathers as a whole.
What started as a millennial dad shift to becoming more equalised across day to day parenting, has transformed to a much wider population of dads. Older dads and/or dads working in very traditional industries/cultures are being forced to reappraise their work/life balance in line with Covid restrictions.
It’s something we see increasingly across the DaddiLife community too. With three areas in particular in which Dads are re-appraising their own roles ahead in 2021.
1. What work/life balance means in 2021 (and beyond)
Working from home is going to feature as a new norm, regardless of how the pandemic transpires. As a result, there is significant hope that many men will play a more substantial role in their children’s lives moving forward.
But beyond just a way of working, dads in lockdown have had a chance to actually see a different way of life. For some it’s been a breathe of fresh air, with many dads and families, re-thinking their priorities as a whole. When we surveyed dads as part of our Dads in Lockdown research it revealed some interesting insights as to how the pandemic has impacted their lives beyond just a way of working, and into the heart of what work and life really mean across topics such as health, finances and family life:
- 70% of dads were reportedly doing more cleaning up,
- 67% of dads were reportedly doing more cooking,
- 51% of dads were reportedly directly involved in home-schooling their children.
It’s a signal that perhaps in 2021, we can start having the type of family balance that means truer gender equality at work and home. Speaking of which…
2. Mums and dads need to start joining forces at work
COVID-19, and lockdown, have provided a visible focus regarding the pressures that working parents are under. The responsibility they face to continue to provide for their families while trying to balance home-schooling, and a new way of living, has placed parents under an enormous strain.
Women who returned to work before the pandemic have been hit particularly hard, with numerous studies showing how discrimination has been rife for mums at work. I am totally supportive of Pregnant Then Screwed’s efforts to get fundamentally bad policy reversed in the law courts too. I think the even bigger opportunity is how dads and mums can partner together at work.
Whether that’s parent groups at work or new formations of allyship. It’s important that we start to treat parents at work equally. Working dads and mums can come together this year and enact a ream of changes that will positively affect a whole generation.
3. Re-imagining what Home-life and family fun Looks Like
It’s been interesting to see how families have adjusted their homes in line with an ever growing set of needs. Home schooling, relaxation, above the needs for eating and sleeping too!
One area I’ve seen massive encouragement from dads is how its opened the doors to new hobbies with their children. As the night skies have become ever clearer from a lack of air travel, getting a children’s telescope and exploring the night skies has become an ever more popular hobby for dads and their children. From personal experience I know how awe-inspiring it is being under a clear night sky, looking up, and gazing at the stars overhead. And it’s wonderful to see new hobbies and quality family time like this emerge.
