A fifth of dads stay at home

ONE IN FIVE Irish dads now hold the role of the stay-at-home parent.

That’s according to a survey conducted by supermarket chain Centra ahead of Father's Day this weekend.

Centra lifecoach Colette Clail said that the reason for such a high percentage of stay-at-home dads is because the traditional roles and attitudes towards parenting are changing.

“More and more fathers are choosing to make their family a priority in their lives by adopting a different approach to work.

“I believe that society will benefit greatly from this change, so we need to validate those choices and we need to acknowledge and appreciate fathers who make that choice,” she said.

Meanwhile, a little more than one in five Irish fathers listed aftershave and a book as their gift of choice for Father’s Day, while one-in-three said a pair of socks were their least desirable gift.

And despite Fathers Day being ranked as the fourth largest card-sending holiday, the advice to sons and daughters is not to bother buying a card as most of the daddies surveyed said they would not appreciate receiving one on.

The survey, which was conducted among 240 Irish fathers, also revealed that Pirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp tops Irish dads’ list of the best celebrity father, followed closely by footballer David Beckham.

lFather’s Day will be take place this Sunday in Ireland.