London England | Article Excerpts "Architect Russell Peterson used to say that waiting at tables and cleaning a combine harvester were the hardest jobs he had ever done. Then he became a stay-at-home dad. “It far outstrips those,” he laughs. “It’s a tough job.” Fifteen years ago he sold his share in the thriving architectural practice he co-founded to look after his two young children. Both Mr Peterson and his wife, who live in Minnesota, had “high-level careers, spending hours at work” and struggled with the feeling that other people were bringing up their children. So they made the decision that Mr Peterson would stay at home, while his wife went out to work... “There’s a predisposition towards guys that we are driven by career success. It has to be a linear path showing success,” he remarks. “So few people value the role men play at home.” This was highlighted two years ago when Mr Peterson tried to get a job. “It was brutal,” he says. “I hear women complain about going back to work [after time out caring for children] and think ‘multiply that by five if you’re a guy’.” No headhunters were interested in the skills he had gained in the domestic sphere. As an architect, he felt he understood the home and family needs far better than when he worked full time. Despite going after more junior roles — and pay — than he had been used to, recruiters told him they wanted to see 15 years of continuous experience. The fact that he had kept his hand in by working on the occasional design project as well as maintaining his skills seemed to count for nothing. “One of the biggest areas of discrimination,” he says, “is towards dads coming back to work.” Ultimately he decided that forming his own company was his best option.... Mr Peterson’s advice to fathers considering a career break is to “stay connected” to industry contacts. Although, he concedes, “it’s hard to do when you have one kid in diapers and the other running around the house”. Despite the difficulties, he maintains that the experience of being a stay-at-home dad was valuable not just to his family but also his work, improving his understanding of how people relate to the built environment. “Being at home has helped my job. I’m a better (architect) worker.”
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