I was approached by a company called Care for Kids to be their Dad in profile for the Father’s day month of September.
It is kind of ironic really as I have been slammed before for my apparent views on child care. Thankfully these guys didn’t see what all the fuss was about either and were interested to hear about the daily life of a stay at home dad.
Care for kids are a child care resource center and Australia’s most comprehensive directory to find, compare and contact a huge range of child care services.
Before you ask there was no centerfold spread or anything like that (although they did use the photo with my shirt off! ). Just a few questions about the trials and triumphs of being a Stay at home dad in 2012.
Please click here for the full Q and A.
Very exciting! Lucky you.
It is so refreshing to see an honest and open opinion of a stay at home dad. I also think that it is wonderful that you gave your wife the opportunity to go back into the workforce. I think sometimes part of the problem for a lor of women is not having that choice whether caused by an inflexible partner or a lesser earning capacity.
Keep up the awesome work!!
I think it’s fantastic that you chose to be a stay at home Dad. For financial reasons I had to return to work when my daughter was 6 months old and I asked my partner if he was interested in staying at home while I returned to work. I earned twice his income and I thought it would be a great bonding experience for them both. Unfortunately he wasn’t interested, mainly because he was worried about what his mates would say!
After a while I chose to sell my house and get rid of the huge mortgage rather than continue to leave my baby in care for such long hours. I’m now a single parent to my 2 daughters and I work from home. I am so happy to be able to be with the girls every day, childhood doesn’t last for long!
I recently signed up to careforkids.com.au as I was looking into child care if/when I was to return to work.
I am a house hubby with 3 kids. One goes to school (6), the other two (3 & 18mths) stay at home with me. My wife works full time for ‘the man’ in the accounting arena.
I was forced into this change in lifestyle after a work place injury.
My wife and I had talked about me staying home full time before my injury, well, I mentioned it, and she said “no”.
My injury has been a blessing in disguise. My wife found her calling in the workforce, and I have been learning and learning and learning.
I found that, at first, I was a fish out of water, something that frustrated me a lot due to the fact that I was keen to undertake this adventure before my injury thinking that it would be a blast, and possibly easier than it is.
When I had mentioned my wanting to persue the possibility of staying at home full time with my wife I made the mistake of saying, “It’s just like raising dogs.”
Oops.
I say oops, because I was looked at by my intelligent wife as a child myself.
Today, a year and a bit since my change in lifestyle, I am happy to say with conviction that it is not like raising dogs, but similar. I’m sure this comment still will not be welcomed by the majority of proud, diligent mothers who take their child rearing calling seriously, but let it be known, I do too.
I have not worked so hard in my life, not so much physical labour or mental torment that I have experienced in the Military, or other employment I have undertaken in the past, but the necessity I feel for my children to be good members of society one day, even now, makes me work hard towards that goal.
I believe all fathers should have the opportunity to care for their children full time, but I am also a realist, and thus realise that everyone is different.
Now, I am confident that I am doing a good job with our beloved children, and I can even cook a meal by myself with all of the ingredients being ready to serve at the same time.
I have a problem with clothes. I hate folding them and putting them away, and when I occassionally recieve company that comment on this, I politely offer them to do it.
I love my new life, and at the same time I miss working. I am now looking ahead and working towards my dreams.
I’ll stay here, with the cherubs, writing my novel, playing my guitar to them, teaching them what I know, and feeling proud, angry, frustrated, drained, happy, numb, excited and bloody tired.