Stay-At-Home Mums A Dying Breed

As cost-of-living pressures rise and more Australian families find balancing the budget a tricky business, the stay-at-home mum looks like becoming a luxury many families can no longer afford, like an annual holiday or maintaining a second car.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) yesterday released figures which show 36 per cent of coupled families with children have one parent working full-time and the other part-time, 25 per cent of coupled parents both work full-time and 4.8 per cent both work part-time.

In 1983, 50 per cent of families had one parent at home full time and only 17 per cent of families had both parents working.

As a result, 62 per cent of mums in full-time work say they feel rushed, while 45 per cent of dads report feeling the same.

AIFS director Professor Alan Hayes says the results speak for a need for flexibility in the workplace.
"The clear message is that families are feeling under pressure more than ever before," he said.
"In addition to both parents working, men are working longer hours and as a result fathers cop it from both sides because he is not spending time with the children.

"We know that we need to support men and women with increased creativity and flexibility in the workplace to help with the pressures," he said.

What do you think? Do both parents in your household work? Have you struggled finding flexibility in your workplace? Or if you're a stay-at-home parent, how do you balance your family budget?

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