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Some of these fathers, like former Simpata Inc. CEO Jeff Simon, were fried from working 12-hour days and missed spending time with their kids. Others, like former Dell Computer Corp. (DELL ) senior manager Justin Espinosa, decided to stay home with their children after they got laid off, sending their wives into the workforce, only to experience marital strife as a result of the swap. Then there are those like Wilson, whose wife's earnings began to outstrip his, causing him to question the value of spending $1,200 a month on a germ-filled child-care facility when he could raise his kids himself. Trailing husbands, who follow their globe-traveling executive wives, are also part of the trend. "Five years ago, if you were recruiting a female executive, you always had to take into consideration the husband's career, who we could introduce him to," says one of Silicon Valley's top headhunters, Russell Reynolds Associates Inc.'s Becky Stein, whose physician husband has primary responsibility for their kids. "Now, I don't even think about it anymore."