You roll out of bed as your spouse’s alarm shatters the eardrums. Rubbing your eyes, you shuffle to the kitchen and get breakfast done whilst your spouse takes a wake up shower to prepare for corporate battle. Handing over the Tupperware-ed lunch you fixed, you say: “Bye, dear! Have a good day at work!” And she’s off. Welcome to the world of the Househusband.

More and more, this phenomenon of the “stay-at-home-dad” or the “home-engineer” amongst men has been slowly coming out of the closet in modern times. A recent article in Fortune magazine plastered the image of the dear house-hubby adorned with apron and three daughters. Is this merely a sensationalised story, or is there hope for corporate women out there?

But, before I let all rip, let’s examine the statistics. In a trend that shows no signs of slowing, men now get fewer than 50% of the university degrees offered. Very un-PC, I know, but the fact is, more and more men are disappearing from the floor of the lecture halls. Although males still dominate in more traditional industries, such as engineering, there has been a steady decline in the participation of males in higher education. This is juxtaposed by the incredible growth of educated women as equal opportunity policies became de rigeur. And the hits keep on coming. Companies have more women on their payroll than ever, and women managers and senior executives are becoming commonplace these days. A recent study in Harvard even stated that at least 30% of working wives earn more than their husbands.

“Open your eyes. There is a sea change on the way. I noticed that at the local university, the women outnumber the men in noticeable amounts. My wife noted recently while visiting a relative in the hospital, that most of the young doctors were female. As a male, I'm sure that the future is female, and women will be in charge in every field by the next twenty years,“ reaffirms Larry, a 40 year-old househusband.

As such, corporate policies and practices have been adjusted accordingly (think flexi-time, maternity leave and day-care), but perhaps the bigger issue would be the effect on the traditional family structure we all know and sometimes debate.

In the 50’s, a working woman was nearly unheard of. The man was still bringing home the bacon and women were mastering the art of making the home and nurturing the children. Then came liberalisation and feminism movements that helped women claw their way into the battle bunkers of the corporate world. Dual-income careers are what the majority of households possess today, and with that, the additional stress of making a home and family life work without the parents’ involvement. Sure, we still make it work, but with a lot of difficulty and challenge. And the ones who hurt the most are often the children. So what’s the latest remedy society has offered up to deal with this predicament?

Enter the brave househusband.

It took hold nearly 15 years ago as the first high-powered women executives emerged in the West. But, back then, it was a topic that was taboo - both for the women involved and their progressive husbands. As time changed, it became a little more acceptable to talk about it.

It starts with a choice. “Every day, Ling and I have a choice: Do we continue to earn dual incomes here in Kuala Lumpur? Or do we pack it in and move to Singapore with one of us getting a better paid job and the other takes on the role of a stay-at-home parent, or at best, a part-time worker?” David and Ling have been debating about this ever since their son, Josh, was born two years ago. “It’s time to start thinking about saving for his future, but it also means it’s time to spend time with him. We only get one go when it comes to raising him, and both of us being at work doesn’t cut it,” says David. This is a debate that is ensuing right now in many homes around the world. How do we reconcile the need to earn a comfortable living with the challenges of raising a family when we are only weekend parents?

This question has been answered for many women who have spent their careers climbing to the top. For them, they’ve merely borrowed the power straight from men, who have always had this luxury, the stay-at-home-spouse. This time, it’s dad who’s going to stick around - especially when it makes more financial sense, informs Richard, a domestic-god for the past year. “What if you were to marry a woman with a better, higher paying job than you, let's say she made two times as much as you. Whose career do you think will come first in that situation? Who will make the major decisions in that situation? Does it make sense to fight it?”

On the one hand, there is an emerging desire to embrace this change - both amongst women and men - to alter the rules on which gender brings in the bucks and which doesn’t. Says Jason, “The key for me is that my partner and I agree that more money is less important than BOTH our relationships with our children. It doesn’t matter who does it.”

Some men even relish the new corporate marriage - “Why are we men so afraid to cope with a woman of power in our lives? What is the great concern about having to report to a woman manager at work? Why are we so scared to stay at home, be the "corporate spouse" and home nurturer? It would seem that doing away with a lot of stress would be a good thing for us. Men might live longer and have more quality of life if we shared the responsibilities more with the women in our lives,” offers Gerald, a computer engineer working from home.

But this newfound joy of role-swapping comes with some teething pains. Mark, a former real estate entrepreneur, came home one day to hear his wife, Sarah, say, “Honey, I got promoted and I’ve been offered a great job in London!” After they deliberated over the matter for some months, he finally agreed to leave the business world and enter that of the “trailing spouse.”

And then issues arose. For Sarah, although she admitted it was wonderful to have Mark totally available to their seven-year-old son seven days a week, she felt a little envious of the intimacy the two shared now. “Of course I have to admit I feel a little cheated sometimes, especially when I’m in a late night meeting and Mark is tucking Aaron into bed.” On top of that, she had to learn to let go of the state of the household. Sure, Mark ran the show pretty well back home, but it was how he did it that she couldn’t take. Ultimately, she knew she had to delegate the new set of responsibilities at home and be less uptight that things weren’t done her way anymore.

For Mark, it was a whole new ballgame! At conferences he attended as Sarah’s guest, the other corporate men would shy away from him the moment they discovered his “vocation.” He felt isolated, both from the business world and socially. The other mothers looked at him in suspicion, thinking he was a dead-beat without a job. Also, he hadn’t anticipated the emotional upheaval involved with living without a definitive schedule or destination his career once offered. Now, it was centred on his son’s activities and household chores. So, he took matters into his own hands and started networking online with other househusbands at various forums that have popped up recently on the Web. Also, he kicked off an online consultancy in real estate planning that has let him put one foot back into the business world. “Keeping up my business skills is something I feel is important to me. Who knows, I might end up working again after London is over and Sarah will have to cook dinner again!”

On the surface of things, these are issues men and women the world over have always had to deal with, only this time, the shoe is on the other foot. Women now have a taste of what it’s like to bear the burden of being the sole-breadwinner in the family. They also face the sacrifice of precious time raising their children on a full-time basis. The men have had to learn to relinquish the stereotypical status attached with having a career to pursue, to be seen as wimps or even losers in some cases. They are learning that keeping a home running smoothly and raising children is no piece of pie, and appreciation is missed often.

But nearly everyone participating in this new family structure agree that the benefits are enriching. They can finally fully pursue their careers head-on with the commitment demanded to make it to the top of their field. They know that their husbands are there keeping things on an even keel and raising their children, instead of a day-care centre. For the men, it’s a whole new world of freedom - freedom to pursue their creative interests, to be there for their children everyday.

Yet, I find it a little amusing - trying to explain this rush of applause for men taking on this newly celebrated role. Women have done this for ages past with no such ovation. But, looking a little deeper, I don’t see this as just another gender-based issue - there are greater ramifications to this phenomena than the over-chewed topic of women’s power or the submission of men.

Says one wise woman: “It has nothing to do with dishonour or shame. I am better at making money. He is better at keeping house and creating an atmosphere where I can flourish. I just want there to be more opportunities for every one. That includes allowing women to explore the outside world, and men to explore the role of nurturer. He will still be a man; he will be my man. And, I will love him for that, not for his ability to make money. I hope he loves and respects me for my ability to deal with the world and to supply our family with the physical and material things we need and desire.”

Apart from achieving equality in a larger context, I hope the balance of acceptance and appreciation of the roles both genders traditionally took on will find an even keel. With both genders finally being able to taste the bitter and the sweet of “the other side,” maybe there will be less screaming about who should deserve more or who is being denied what. What there should be is a focus on cooperation for the sake of our personal enrichment, relationships and future of our children - man or woman.