第1656期:Stay-at-home fathers

There aren’t many parents who would say that raising children is easy. For many people, having children can force parents to choose between career and family. Sometimes it comes down to finances – sending a child to nursery or hiring a nanny can be a huge financial burden that is unsustainable, while others may feel it’s better to be a hands-on parent. These days, more and more men are choosing to stay at home to look after their offspring. So why are more dads opting to put their careers on hold, and what does the job entail?

没有多少父母会说养孩子很容易。对很多人来说，生孩子会迫使父母在事业和家庭之间做出选择。有时它归结为经济问题——送孩子去托儿所或雇用保姆可能是不可持续的巨大经济负担，而其他人可能觉得做一个亲力亲为的父母更好。如今，越来越多的男性选择留在家里照顾他们的后代。那么，为什么越来越多的爸爸选择暂停他们的职业生涯，这份工作需要做什么呢？

With more women working outside the home than 70 years ago, if the need is there for one parent to stay at home, it could simply come down to who earns more – the biggest breadwinner. And with attitudes changing towards a man’s role in the family, it seems to be easier for them to enter full-time parenthood. Sadly, though, many men still face stigmas by choosing to raise their child. A 2013 study in the US by the Pews Research Center found that 51% of people thought children were better off if a mother is home and doesn’t have a job, while 8% say the same about a father. But what do parents have to do when they choose to stay with their kids?

与 70 年前相比，外出工作的女性越来越多，如果需要父母中的一方留在家里，那只能归结为谁挣得更多——最大的养家糊口者。随着人们对男性在家庭中的角色的态度发生转变，他们似乎更容易成为全职父母。然而，可悲的是，许多男人仍然因选择抚养孩子而面临耻辱。皮尤斯研究中心 2013 年在美国进行的一项研究发现，51% 的人认为如果母亲在家且没有工作，孩子的生活会更好，而 8% 的人认为父亲也是如此。但是当父母选择留在孩子身边时，他们必须做些什么呢？

In the early stages, a baby is totally dependent on a carer. The changing of nappies, burping after milk and making sure they feed on time are just some of the vital 24-7 activities an infant relies on. During this period, many parents take paternity and maternity leave from work. But as a child gets older, it can become less about necessity and more about choice. Rather than opt for a creche, which can prove expensive, either parent may remain at home to educate, protect and play with their child to help them develop and grow.↳

在早期阶段，婴儿完全依赖照顾者。换尿布、挤奶后打嗝并确保它们按时喂食只是婴儿所依赖的 24-7 重要活动的一部分。在此期间，许多父母休陪产假和产假。但随着孩子年龄的增长，它可能会变得不那么必要，而更多地是关于选择。与其选择托儿所，父母任何一方都可以留在家里教育、保护和与孩子一起玩耍，以帮助他们发展和成长。

It’s a difficult job, with a demanding boss, but it can also be incredibly rewarding for those willing to do it. And with attitudes changing towards who should stay at home, maybe more and more fathers will choose to become stay-at-home dads.↳

这是一项艰巨的工作，老板要求很高，但对于那些愿意做这件事的人来说，这也是非常有益的。随着人们对谁应该留在家里的态度发生变化，也许越来越多的父亲会选择成为全职爸爸。

词汇表

raise 养育
nursery 托儿所
nanny 保姆
burden 负担
hands-on 事事参与，亲力亲为
look after 照顾，照料
offspring 子女
dad 爸爸
breadwinner 挣钱养家糊口的人
parenthood 为人父母
carer 护工，护理员
nappy 尿布
burp 拍嗝
feed 吃奶，吃东西
infant 婴儿
paternity leave （父亲）陪产假
maternity leave 产假
creche 日托中心