These Days More Fathers Stay at Home and Take Care of Their Children- IELTS Writing Task 2

These days more fathers stay at home and take care of their children while mothers go out to work. What could be the reason for this? Is it a positive or negative development?

Outline

Essay Type

Opinion Essay

Introduction

Sentence 1 – Paraphrase the topic with the help of synonyms. Mention the two sides of the argument as well.

Sentence 2 – Mention how the 21st century has given a platform for change and how people, like yourself, feel this is a good thing.

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 1 – Mention the benefits of the change, how women who were wrongly considered inferior are now getting to places they deserve to be. Cite examples if possible.

Paragraph 2 – Continue on the same by talking about when a father helps out, a mother can rest, go for a walk, accomplish her career goals and learn a new skill or a hobby.

Paragraph 3 – Mention the adverse side, like how a mother’s nurturance will always triumph over a father’s best work, and  work-related choices are often not taken by women, which can lead them to fall behind on the corporate ladder. But emphasise that the shift is towards the betterment of society in general.

Conclusion

Summarise the essay and mention that you see the trend growing in the future, and how it is a good thing.

Sample Essay

There has been a shifting trend of fathers staying at home to nurture and provide for the kids while the mother earns the bread in recent times. I feel this is a monumental change in a positive direction, given that the 21st century has provided a platform for change, which a lot of people has embraced.

To begin with, the traditional bounds were that the mother would stay at home and nurture the kids while the father would work. This system became redundant and arbitrary as the world progressed. In the erstwhile days, women were barred from work as they were wrongly considered to be inferior to men in certain aspects. But, these shackles have since been broken. Now, women have the opportunity to earn more than their male counterparts. As a result, they go out while the father works from home or at home as someone is needed to care for the young ones. This change is quite refreshing as men play their part to nurture the family, no matter what that role might be.

Fathers staying at home doesn’t just allow a mother to fulfil her career-oriented dreams but also takes a lot of load off her as motherhood is a daunting task. For instance, with the father taking care of the family, the mother can catch up with old friends, go out for a refreshing walk, learn a new hobby or skill, or take a much-warranted nap. This change is possible as a sense of equality is being instilled among the people and they realize that sharing responsibilities develops stronger bonds.

However, there might be a few drawbacks to this. For instance, a father’s nurturance will never triumph over that of a mother’s. Furthermore, climbing up the corporate ladder means making a lot of sacrifices which often include moving around from place to place, working late hours successively and tremendous tension on the employee. It is observed that women tend not to make such choices as they feel the family might be affected. But, all in all, this sea change shows the progression of the society which previously deemed women unfit for work and that a man should take equal responsibility in a household. Thus, we can take pride in becoming a unified, welcoming and progressive society in general.

To summarise, this trend is witnessed in a time when the most capable person stakes claim to the job, irrespective of their gender. Also, the concept of online offices has aided greatly. Hence, it should be taken as a positive step and should flourish further.

Band 9 Sample Essay

In today’s modern era, the conventional gender roles are undergoing a paradigm shift, with mothers becoming the primary breadwinners of the family and fathers staying at home to look after their children. This situation has emerged as a result of a lot of factors, and I feel it is indicative of a positive trend. 

To begin with, one of the key reasons could be that, in the twenty-first century, females are equally educated and demanding as their male counterparts due to increased access to educational and professional opportunities. The equal rights movement, often known as gender equality, has had a tremendous impact on women’s empowerment, resulting in mothers working in offices while fathers stay home to look after their children. Several western countries have socially welcomed this trend, but other developing Asian countries have yet to fully embrace it. Apart from that, the modern era’s financial problem has compelled parents to look for employment in order to cover their living expenses. Thus, the parents eventually decide who will make money for the family and who will look after their children regardless of society or traditional ideas.

With the changing environment, the socio-economic aspect of parenting is also changing, with fathers staying at home to care for children. At the same time, mothers go out to work, which is a sign of positive development because, in the past, men were required to be breadwinners while women were denied the opportunity to work outside the kitchen. However, a large number of women today hold prestigious positions in well-known organisations. As a result, women are capable of becoming self-sufficient and working alongside men in any industry. For instance, a large number of industries are driven by women in human resources management, nursing, hospital, banking, teaching etc. Therefore, the increase in the number of employment opportunities in different fields has led women to become the family’s breadwinners.

To sum up, considerable shifts in social beliefs and women’s advancement have altered family roles. As a result, the changing trend has more positive outcomes than negatives, and it should be regarded as a positive step forward because real growth is impossible until men and women cooperate and have equal opportunities.

Vocabulary

• “Earning the bread” 

Meaning – To do work of any kind for a living; to earn money by some means.
Example – Typically, it is the head male of the family that is tasked with earning the bread.

• Monumental 

Meaning – great in importance, extent, or size.
Example – India’s victory in the 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup was seen as a monumental one.

• Redundant 

Meaning – not or no longer needed or useful.
Example – Many of the laws of that country seem redundant.

• Arbitrary

Meaning-based on random choice or personal whim.
Example – He made an arbitrary decision to walk despite the rains.

• Erstwhile  

Meaning – former.
Example – The cave paintings at Bhimbetka give us a glimpse of the erstwhile lifestyle of humans.

• Shackles 

Meaning – a pair of fetters connected together by a chain, used to fasten a prisoner’s wrists or ankles together.
Example – The society has progressed well by breaking the shackles of yesterday.

• Nurture 

Meaning – care for and encourage the growth or development of.
Example – He nurtures his garden while she nurtures the farm animals.

• Progressive 

Meaning – happening or developing gradually or in stages; proceeding step by step.
Example – The bankers were glad to see a progressive change in the economy.

• Aided 

Meaning – help, assist, or support.
Example – The Indus river aided survival of the Indus Valley Civilization.

• Flourish 

Meaning – grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment.
Example – Wild mushrooms flourish in a humid climate.