Why I'll Never Regret Becoming A Stay-At-Home Dad.

I’ve been a stay-at-home dad for a little over three years now. My days are filled with pretty much the same routine. Get the girls out of bed, make breakfast and get them dressed. Drive to nursery, complete any minor chores around the house, entertain the eldest while the littlest one naps and if I have energy left then I’ll cook tea. When you see if wrote down like that I would more of rest going out to work, wouldn’t it?

Does that sound like I’m whining about my life? Well, I don’t mean it to because I really love what I do.

That said, being a househusband isn’t always easy and remains a taboos subject for a lot of people and still creates a lot of social unease. You can imagine the comments from some of my male colleagues when I told them that I was quitting my job as a Store Manager to look after our home and raise our children. To be honest it took me a while to figure out how to answer people when they asked me what I did for a living. For a long time I use to mumble something about Rachel wanting to go back to work. I felt uncomfortable talking about it, for the simple fact I felt like I had something to prove.

Now I simple answer “I’m a stay-at-home dad!”

I think it’s fair to say that the number of stay-at-home dads is on the rise and we’re no longer the exotic species we used to be. Surely the fact that LEGO released a stay-at-home dad figurine, complete with baby in a pram and corporate mom, reflects that.

Being a full-time dad and house husband has plenty of perks too of course. From considerable amounts of quality time with the kids to having the time catching up on your favourite Netflix shows and of course the best thing of all, not having to go out to work. Which in the summer isn’t to bad but now the dark mornings are here, it’s a god send.

I’m thankful I can say that as a three year veteran in the stay at home dad game I have worked through a lot of the feeling of self doubt and inadequacy I felt in the beginning. You know the feeling you get when you’re at home with a kid for the first time and you suddenly think to yourself ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’ Just remember you do know what you’re doing and you’ve go this. Whether you’re a Mum or a Dad, you’ve got this.

Three years into the job, new challenges have presented themselves. The biggest of these has to be those little but constant interruptions throughout the day, whether that be having to do minor chores around the house or doing the nursery run five mornings a week. Plus when you’re trying to get into the flow of writing a blog, editing a video or putting an Instagram post together and all you have in your ear is ‘Daddy, can I have?’ or ‘Daddy, watch me!’ It’s enough to test the patience of even the most laid back person.

The absence of colleagues to share a chat with over a coffee break has also been a problem but I guess that’s why I got into blogging. Being part of a community has really help me connect with people and I am happy to say I met some amazing people who I consider friends.

If it’s something that you’re thinking about doing then please don’t think about all the negative points. Think of all the positive reasons to be one. I relish all the good things that come with being a stay-at-home dad and there are a lot of them. It could very well be the best think I ever did with my life.

 

Are you a stay-at-home parent? Do you regret it? Or are you in a position where you’re think about doing it? Let me know in the comments below