But while that number might seem small, experts say it represents a significant increase over a decade ago. We're still not talking huge numbers. . . . But what is significant is that when I began to do this work, nobody knew a man who was home full-time. It was considered freak behavior. Now, almost everybody knows somebody who's at home.
Sociologists say it's becoming more common.
Not only are there more women in the work force, they are getting more money for their efforts. As lucrative workplace opportunities for women increase, there are more cases where families decide that it makes more economic sense for the husband to quit working than for the wife to do so. Andy McNeil quit his job as a branch manager for an audio-visual company in Baltimore so he could care for his newborn daughter, Alice, while his wife worked at a more lucrative job for a museum. The couple briefly entertained the idea of placing Alice in a day-care program, but they felt uncomfortable about leaving her with strangers. Dennis Findley also was turned off day-care programs after reading a book that said children learn many of their social values in their first three years.