You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
These days more fathers stay at home and take care of their children while mothers go out to work. What could be the reasons for this? Do you think it is a positive or a negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
SAMPLE ANSWER: 265 words - Bands 7 to 7.5
We wrote this practice essay in class following a group discussion of the topic. It is not an easy questions and the ideas were quite hard to think of. My students struggled but they introduced most of the plan for this essay and we completed and corrected it together within the 40 minute limit.
In recent times, many fathers are choosing to be stay-at-home-dads while their wives pursue their careers. Some are making this choice for economic reasons and others simply because they want to. This essay will explore why this is happening and I will argue that it is a positive trend.
The most common reasons couples give for fathers choosing to stay at home are economic and personal choice. In many cases, the mothers can earn considerably more than the fathers and as a family they decide to take the higher income rather than think about outdated social norms. For example, my sister earns double her husbands salary, therefore, she continued climbing the corporate ladder and her husband resigned his factory job to raise the children. As a result, the family can now afford a beautiful house in Sydney and holidays twice a year.
The benefits of fathers staying at home are many. Obviously, the women benefit because they can follow their dreams and career aspirations. The fathers may be better suited to bringing up children and managing the home than working nine to five. As for the children, many studies show that they also benefit from the experience. For instance, research found that children raised by their fathers are emotionally balanced and tend to have better social skills. As a result, they grow up to have better connections with both mum and dad.
The idea of family is changing in modern times and families are making choices based on their own abilities and needs rather than what society dictates. I think it is a positive development.
