Good morning, Broadsheet readers! OnlyFans saw a surge in creators and revenue last year, the Las Vegas Aces show what can happen when women’s basketball has resources, and dads aren’t just staying home with kids after a layoff anymore. Have a relaxing weekend.
– Who stays at home? The stay-at-home dad has long been an outlier compared to the stay-at-home mom. But, as my colleague Orianna Rosa Royle reports for Fortune, there’s a major difference when it comes to today’s stay-at-home fathers.
Dads in heterosexual marriages who decide to stay home with their kids are increasingly doing so as a proactive choice—not as a fallback option. While some fathers have always opted to stay home, often they’ve made the jump initially because of a layoff, retirement, or illness. During the 2008 financial crisis, for example, the number of American stay-at-home fathers surged, according to Pew Research Center.
Those are no longer the only situations compelling dads to take care of their kids full-time; 18% of stay-at-home parents in the U.S. today are fathers, compared to 5% two decades ago. During the pandemic, the number of stay-at-home dads increased by a third in the U.K.
“Men are starting to realize that missing crucial morning time and bedtime adds up,” Dave Murray Jones, an ad sales professional-turned-stay-at-home-dad, told Orianna. His stay-at-home fatherhood has led to the ultimate coup: His kids’ teachers finally started calling him, not just his wife, when something went wrong at school.
Women who stay in the workforce while raising kids often encounter the “motherhood penalty“—fewer and lower raises and promotions as bosses assume she’s busy being a mom and not focused on work. Women who leave the workforce to care for children often have a hard time reentering—and lose out on accruing long-term retirement benefits while out of the workforce.
Anecdotally, the fathers Orianna spoke with haven’t had much trouble returning to the workforce. Some easily went back to their old jobs, got new ones, or picked up gig economy jobs on the side. While society has stigmatized stay-at-home fathers in the past, the transition in and out of primary caregiving seems to be a smoother one for many dads today.
Read Orianna’s full story here.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
@_emmahinchliffe
The Broadsheet is Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Today’s edition was curated by Joseph Abrams. Subscribe here.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Fans fork up. New financial disclosures reveal that Keily Blair, the recently appointed CEO of OnlyFans, has inherited a thriving business. OnlyFans users spent a whopping $5.6 billion on the platform during 2022, a year that saw the number of creators jump 47% to 3.2 million. Insider
- Now for sale. Nike will start selling women's goalkeeper soccer jerseys after a fan petition. The sportswear giant sold kits for other women's players—and a goalkeeper kit for the men's teams—but not the women's goalie option. Star English goalkeeper Mary Earps shared a petition asking Nike to fix the disparity. ESPN
- Aces ahead. The Las Vegas Aces are leading the WNBA to a brighter future with record investments being made into team resources and needs. The Aces are the only team with their own dedicated practice facility and a million-dollar coach, but low salary caps and a league-wide lack of progress stand in the way. Elle
- CIA cover-ups. An assault and battery conviction of a CIA officer trainee this week is just the latest in a string of sexual misconduct complaints against the agency. More than two dozen women have come forward in recent months alleging sexual assault and harassment within the CIA and the agency's alleged efforts to keep them silent. A CIA spokesperson said the agency is focused on "safe and secure work environment[s]" for officers. AP
- Below Deck sinks. Fans of the reality show Below Deck have praised the show for its swift and direct handling of on-screen problematic behavior. Now, however, members of the show’s production crew have accused the show of turning a blind eye to sexual harassment and misconduct they experienced and witnessed while working on the show. Rolling Stone
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Cradlepoint promoted Donna Johnson to chief marketing officer. Rothy's appointed Shaheen Mufti as vice president of retail. The 81 Collection named Brittany Graunke as operating partner.
ON MY RADAR
Angel Reese doesn't want to fit into your standards Teen Vogue
America’s progress hinges on liberating Black women Time
Can this deck of cards make your partner do more chores? New York Times
PARTING WORDS
"If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman."
—2024 Republican Presidential candidate Nikki Haley quoting Margaret Thatcher during this week's Republican debate
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