Are today’s fathers stepping up? Parents across Kolkata and beyond are reflecting on a slow, but meaningful shift inside their homes — fathers who are increasingly sharing responsibilities once reserved for mothers. For many women, this change is not just comforting, but essential, especially in the early years of parenting. Their stories show that while some households continue to hold on to traditional roles, others are witnessing a genuine transformation.
A mindset shaped by generations
For Anushree Roy, who welcomed her baby in October 2025, the idea of shared responsibility didn’t begin with her husband — it began much earlier at home.
In her late 20s now, she says that she grew up watching her father take on every household task except cooking. She recalls that he still cleaned the kitchen, washed dishes, did the laundry, swept and mopped the house, and performed all the pujas. “Only cooking was something he couldn’t manage, but he still did everything else,” she said.
This early example shaped her expectations of marriage, and she feels fortunate that her husband mirrors that same mindset.
“From cooking to cleaning the house, running errands and doing groceries, he does everything he can without being asked,” she said.
As new parents, they have divided their duties: she handles the baby during the day while he stays awake till 3am for night care. But she also points out that her in-laws’ home still follows old norms. “The other men in his family neither know how to do these things nor try to learn,” she added.
Shifts across decades
For some families, this change has been gradual. Chef Nayana Afroz, now in her 50s, admits that her own father rarely participated in household work, but her husband grew up differently.
“My husband can do most chores and many things termed ‘women’s work’ like stitching, organising cupboards or packing luggage,” she said.
She highlighted how some responsibilities became completely his over the years. “There are three things I have never done in my entire married life — hanging curtains, hanging the mosquito net and putting the cover on the blanket.” Her 27-year-old son is now following his father’s example, suggesting that the shift can span generations.
Fathers balancing care and careers
Forty-year-old psychologist Sreyashi Nag Chandra shares that her husband, 46, balances professional pressure with daily routines at home.
“Even with all his work pressure, he wakes up early, serves breakfast and gets our daughter ready for school,” she said. He also prepares meals whenever he is home. For her, his support “means the world” as they raise their two daughters, aged 12 and 6.
When fathers lead solo
For some, shared parenting is not a choice but a necessity embraced with love. Kolkata-based professional Diksha Saha says her father, now 57, raised her single-handedly after her mother passed away. “He has done everything from taking me to school to helping with homework,” she said, calling his devotion the foundation of her childhood.
Raising sons who value equality
Content creator Pritha Paul believes the credit lies with both mothers and mothers-in-law, who teach boys early that chores are not gendered. She recalls her brother making tea for guests and her husband washing utensils when she was busy entertaining visitors. For her, these everyday gestures matter.
Men, too, like Dipankar Dasgupta, father to a son in his 20s, emphasise sincerity over labels.
“I can cook, wash utensils and clothes and mop the floor. These are not trivial chores,” he said. Raja Sandhukhan, principal of IHM Kolkata and father to a toddler daughter, shares that learning all household work from childhood helped him not just in life but also in his hotel management career. “These are life skills and no one should miss out on these,” he said.
While traditional expectations still exist in many homes, stories from women and men across ages show a clear trend: fathers today are increasingly willing to share parental and household responsibilities. Whether shaped by upbringing, circumstance or conscious effort, the modern Indian father is redefining what family roles can look like.
