Why Some Stay-at-Home Dads are Depressed

In the past two decades or so, the number of stay-at-home dads has risen—from just over 1 million in 1989 to 2 million in 2012, according to the Pew Research Center. We've also become more visible in society, from the cover of the New Yorker to the butt of every joke in movies and TV shows like Guys with Kids or Daddy Day Care. You might think there's a certain comfort in knowing we're not the only ones bouncing babies on our knees and reading children's books all day, but no. The reality of being a stay-at-home dad is that strangers are suspicious, our friends are patronizing, and stay-at-home moms—the one group you might actually expect to have your back—often won't let you into their club.