Stay-at-home dads make up one in seven families

The number of stay-at-home dads is on the rise, with dads being the main childcare provider for one in seven families.

Childcare is shared on an equal basis between parents in a further 25 per cent of families.

The survey by Aviva also showed that 26 per cent of dads actually quit their job or significantly reduced their working hours following the birth of their child.

One of the reasons for this shift in stay-at-home dads is caused by mothers on higher wages, making better financial sense for the father to take on childcare responsibilities.

But 13 per cent of stay-at-home dads admit that they find looking after their children much harder than going out to work.