Dad sleeping on hospital floor while wife and baby are inside ER sparks crucial discussions about equal parenting

Let’s talk about this: A viral photo of a father sleeping on an ER floor has sparked conversations about equal parenting. 

• Viral picture of a dad sleeping on an ER floor sparks discussions about equality in marriage and parenthood. 
• Joe Duncan was captured resting after a 12-hour-long shift while his wife and baby were inside the emergency room. 
• “Marriage and parenting isn’t 50/50,” says his wife, who posted the touching photo. 

Sarah Duncan shared a photograph of her husband, Joe Duncan, sleeping on the floor of an emergency room.

As UNILAD notes, the image went viral in no time, with more than 34,000 shares, 20,000 likes, nearly 3,000 comments. Here is why.

In the photo description, Sarah explains that she and Joe had to take their baby into the ER. At the time, her husband had just finished a 12-hour shift as a cement technician. Since Joe had to return to work only a few hours later, Sarah tried to convince him to stay home and rest. But the devoted father refused to leave his baby and his wife alone in the hospital, so he changed into clean work clothes and went with them.

The touching Facebook post reads:

“What some may see: a Dad sleeping while Mom stays awake holding their sleeping baby in the ER at 2am. What I see: A Dad sleeping on the hard floor of an ER after working 12 hour shifts 6 days a week for the last month, despite the fact his wife asked him to stay home and rest all because he didn’t want his babies in STL alone.”

The mom says that parenting isn’t always 50/50.

Addressing equality in parenting and marriage, Sarah writes:

“Marriage and parenting isn’t 50/50. Some days it is. Other days it’s 60/40, 70/30, or even 80/20. And you have to be willing to pull your weight, no matter what your partner needs that day.”

She ends her emotional message with the words:

“This is what love is. This is what being a husband is. This is what being a Daddy is. And I wouldn’t want to do this life with anyone else! Thank you for all you do for us Daddy! We love you!”

Social media users say the picture and the story behind it are “Inspirational!”

In an interview with Good Morning America, Sarah said:

“I was looking at him thinking how thankful I am for him and how I wouldn’t want to do this life without him. Parenting is really hard. I can’t imagine doing it without him.”

According to reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Alexandra Sacks, equality between men and women has come a long way, but it is still far from being resolved. She explained:

“In my patients, I often see that mothers and their partners value shared parenting roles and responsibilities, but often in the day-to-day domestic tasks and the work of what we call ’emotional labor’ – the invisible labor of caretaking – still disproportionately falls on the women.”

Sacks insists it is important to talk about equality both in the workplace and “on the domestic front.” According to the expert, discussing expectations of roles and responsibilities before entering parenthood is crucial for sustaining healthy relationships.