Not Helping, Parenting: How Stay-At-Home Dads Are Rewriting The Script

In urban India, from Mumbai's high-rise apartments to Delhi's leafy neighbourhoods, something new is unfolding. Fathers are choosing to be present, full-time caregivers. They're stepping into roles long expected of women, and in doing so, they're reimagining what it means to be a dad today.

From Goldman Sachs to Family Life: Pranshu Dwivedi's Story

When Pranshu Dwivedi, formerly a Vice President at Goldman Sachs, decided to leave his corporate role in 2024, it wasn't due to burnout or pressure. It was intentional. He wanted to be there for his children every day, "Raising our kids is the top priority, more men need to be the ones staying home with the kids."

In a LinkedIn post that gained national attention, Pranshu shared the reactions he received: "The Indian society isn't yet ready for stay-at-home dads, 'Oh so you're working from home?'" These remarks reflect how deeply gendered our expectations remain. For many, a man stepping away from paid employment to raise his kids still triggers disbelief.

In an interview with Business Insider India, Pranshu explained that while leaving Goldman Sachs was a bold move, it wasn't one made in haste. "It took me close to six months to make that decision," he shared. "I realised I was coming back home tired, mentally drained. I was giving very little to my kids and my wife. I wasn't emotionally available."

He added, "As a family, we sat down and looked at our finances and asked ourselves, if this doesn't work out in 6 months or a year, can we bounce back? The answer was yes. So I went for it."

What Everyday Parenting Looks Like

Today, Pranshu spends his mornings packing school tiffins, helping with homework, and caring for his children while his partner works. He shares glimpses of this new routine, making toast instead of sales calls, sitting in parent meetings instead of client meetings.

For him, it's not a sacrifice, it's joy. It's choosing to be present for the small things that shape his children's world. UNICEF has noted that children with involved fathers often enjoy stronger emotional development and better mental health. For families like Pranshu's, this involvement is no longer optional, it's essential.

Facing Bias, Pushing Boundaries

Still, the questions don't stop: "Are you still working from home?" This persistent doubt underscores how society still defines masculinity by professional output rather than emotional availability. Yet, men like Pranshu continue to lead by example.

Paradoxically, even when paid paternity leave exists, most men don't take it. In India, men are actually 25% more likely than women to be eligible for paid parental leave. But two-thirds of them still think their partner should be the one to take it.

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That says a lot. The system allows space for fathers, but the mindset hasn't caught up. So when someone like Pranshu actually chooses to stay home, it's not just a family decision. It's quietly breaking a pattern.

A 2019 Ipsos MORI survey stated 39% of urban Indians still believe stay-at-home dads are "less of a man." At the same time, 95% agree that both parents should share responsibilities equally. That contrast reveals the road ahead. These fathers aren't just parenting, they're helping society move forward.

Stories from Across India

Pranshu isn't alone. In Pune, Rohan Deshpande adjusts his work schedule to attend his son's therapy sessions. In Bangalore, Anirudh Menon brings his infant along when childcare falls through. In Hyderabad, Karthik Rao co-parents with his husband while his wife completes her Ph.D.

These aren't headlines. They're everyday stories of men stepping up, not for applause but because it's the right thing to do.

Not Helping, Parenting

One of the most outdated phrases in parenting is, "My husband helps me with the kids." These dads aren't helpers, they're parents.

They do bath time, help with school projects, handle meltdowns, and show up fully. Research shows that involved fatherhood not only helps children, it also benefits men. It improves emotional health and strengthens family bonds.

Caring for a child doesn't soften the job because you're a mother, and it doesn't make it harder because you're a father. Fathers who step into this space fully, as caregivers, not assistants, often realise something mothers have always known, this isn't a break from work, it is the work.

Yet, many dads still battle societal disbelief. For some, like those in rigid corporate spaces or traditionally masculine professions, choosing to stay home with children may be seen as "wasting" potential. But that idea erases the quiet victories of everyday parenting, seeing your child grow up in front of your eyes, and knowing that you were there.

What Needs to Change

For fatherhood like this to thrive, we need more than individual choices. We need:

• Comprehensive paternity leave

• Flexible work environments

• More representation of fathers in caregiving roles in books, films, and ads

• Less judgment and more inclusion from extended families and institutions

A Father's Day Salute

This Father's Day, let's recognise dads like Pranshu, not for earning, but for caring. For choosing school pickups over salary hikes. For putting their children first when it matters most. To every dad who reads bedtime stories, cooks meals, listens with patience, and loves without limits, you're not just parenting. You're changing what it means to be a father. And every moment you spend raising your child is reshaping what it means to be a father not just in your home, but in the world.

Personal views expressed by the author are their own.