The decision to become a stay-at-home dad should not be taken lightly. For many, the decision has already been made for us. Perhaps you have recently become unemployed and your spouse is bringing home enough money that staying home to raise the children is an economically feasible option.
There are obvious advantages to being a stay-at-home dad, most notably daycare issues. Between the monthly costs and the limited interaction with your children, there is little good to be said. I agree that, if both parents are working then daycare should certainly be considered. For many, holding a full-time job would not be possible without daycare.
The idea of having my children in daycare almost scares me. Someone whom I hardly know at all molding and shaping my children leaves me feeling uneasy. I want my wife and I to be the ones to teach our children right from wrong; to teach them respect for others and for themselves; to teach them that it’s okay to feel the way they are feeling; to simply teach them.
Earning an income while staying home with the kids is becoming increasingly easier. More and more business are becoming open to the concept of “telecommuting”. And if that does not work so well for you, then consider starting your own business. If you’re good at something and passionate about it, make it a business. And make it a business that you can run on your own terms, and one that can accommodate your child minding responsibilities. Keep the hours you want and work when it is convenient for you to do so.
Take sometime to research businesses that can be done on the internet. While there are a lot of scams out there, there are also legitimate businesses and other legitimate ways of making money. Very few of these businesses will make you rich, but with some hard work and dedication you can get ahead.
dont’t let your pride stand in the way of you being a stay-at-home dad. We live in a society where many still believe that it’s the mother’s role to stay home and raise the children. It is becoming more and more common for fathers to be the primary care-giver, and for mothers to be the financial support.
It is easy to forget that being a stay-at-home dad is very much a full-time job. You dont’t get up every morning to shower and shave, put on your suit and tie and head out the door with your coffee in one hand and your brief case in the other trying to get to the office in the rush hour traffic so you can be on time for your 8:15 meeting.
There’s no paycheck at the end of every week. The overtime you work is not compensated for by way of extra time off. This job doesn’t easily allow for “time off”.
I’m not attempting to paint a gloomy picture of the perils of being a stay-at-home dad. Nor am I trying to do the opposite. I am simply urging you to consider the positive side as well as the negative. This is a big decision to make, and not one that should be taken lightly.
If you do make the decision to be a stay-at-home dad, please make the time to keep your children your number one priority and the real reason that you are at home.
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Brock Turneris a stay-at-home-dad of 2 children under the age of 4.
