Even before becoming a dad, I always thought my role as a father was to be the family’s provider. I grew up in an environment where undoubtedly that was the case, and it was reinforced by the corporate environment where I started my career because the culture there highly valued money over time. Therefore, it’s no surprise that I grew fascinated with focusing on my career and making as much money as I could, even at the expense of my personal time. Then -- boom. My wife and I had to deal with a series of health issues. First, it was mine: a serious case of shingles that evolved into … [Read more...]
Life After Being At-Home Dad Gets Squirrelly for This Guy
The show's over; time for everyone to go home. My last kid has started school. I am no longer an at-home dad. Now I suppose I’m just unemployed. That’s fantastic for the ego. I mean, really great. It’s always nice to see yourself taken down a peg or 50. Over the last month, I’ve gotten the question, “What are you going to do now with all your free time?” What free time, I’ve got lists a mile long! Time is accounted for, and it demands to be paid, credit not accepted. So what do I do now? Well, basically I sit in the house and wonder why Oprah has abandoned me. I mean, not to be a dick … [Read more...]
At-Home Parent Promise Kept, Struggle to Let Them Go Begins
"No," I say. "He's not ready." At the bus stop, my wife shakes her head and sighs. She is disagreeing with me and showing her exasperation. She's a great multitasker. My fifth grader, Wyatt, and my youngest son, Oliver, adjust their backpacks. "It's my call," I say. "He's ready," she counters. "I'm Dad. I've been here since the beginning. I was the one that quit my job to stay home with the kids. It's my call." That should count for something. That should give me the absolute final decision about whether my son is ready for kindergarten or not. I say he's not. My wife … [Read more...]
Should I Be a Stay-at-Home Dad? Some Advice to Consider
It is hard for me to believe that I recently marked three years since I choose to become a stay-at-home dad. When my wife was became pregnant in early 2015, the initial plan was for us to do the same thing for our latest bundle of joy that we did for our first child nearly four years before: each of us would take a few weeks of leave then put our baby in daycare so we could return to our full-time jobs. When we found out we were having twins, those plans completely changed. Having three kids in daycare would probably put us in the poor house because, for some reason, daycares don’t have … [Read more...]
HomeDadCon 2019 Comes to Minneapolis in Sept., Tickets on Sale
At-home fathers looking for parenting advice or just hoping to connect with others like themselves will have a chance to do both at the annual national at-home dad convention, recently announced to take place Sept. 26-28, 2019, in Minneapolis, Minn. HomeDadCon 2019, as the event is known, will also be a chance for our Twin Cities Dads Group to show off its hometown. The 450-member City Dads Group chapter will play a big role in organizing and hosting the event held by the nonprofit National At-Home Dad Network. “We’re really excited to be working with the NAHDN on the convention," … [Read more...]
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