More Mr. Moms

Adam and Erin Richardson paint the picture of a family reframed by the recession. She is a special education teacher. He is a stay at home dad. It wasn't always this way.

"It is hard and we are paycheck to paycheck, but it always seems to work," Erin says,

When Adam lost his job at an auto parts supplier, she became the breadwinner and he became the caretaker. "My kids are everything," Adam said. But "the ways I was raised is the man in the provider. Years ago, that's the way it was. The woman stays home and takes care of the kids. So, it does eat at me sometimes."

Since the recession began in December 2007, 82% of job losses have hit men. Georgia State University Associate Professor, Dr. Jan Ligon, says family dynamics are changing fast. It's a change that is not always welcome.

"Even though we've seen so many women in the workplace, there is still sometimes the underlying premise that the male is expected to work. He's expected to be if not THE primary breadwinner, a significant breadwinner. I think it's an expectation in a lot of families. When it stops, that's very hard."

Ligon said it's difficult to obtain hard numbers on how the economy is affecting family dynamics, but reports show the number of calls to suicide hotlines and domestic violence hotlines are up. "For some families and some relationships where things were iffy or rocky to begin with, this is the kind of thing that can really push it over."

For the Richardsons, there is some good news. Their youngest son, Levi, had been diagnosed as developmentally delayed. He was behind on sitting up, walking, and talking. After so much one-on-one time with dad, he's now thriving.

"We could be dirt poor," Adam says, "but as long as we have love, that's precious time for all of us."

Dr. Ligon said it's important for stressed families to find an outlet. He suggested the following FREE help services:

• Mental Health Crisis : 1-800-715-4225
• Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases (MHDDAD)-- provides support services to people with mental illnesses, addictive diseases, and developmental disabilities
• United Way 211: by calling 211 toll free or searching the database.
• Domestic Violence: National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)