I love being a stay-at-home-dad (SAHD). My story of becoming a stay-at-home-dad is a pretty simple one and one I suspect a lot of parents can relate to.
I graduated with a diploma in Journalism, and for the last 13 years have been working as a journalist, writer, communications and marketing professional. In the last three years I had been running my own freelance company MRB Ink and have been working from home.
When Jane and I started talking about having kids we weren’t sure what our life was going to look like when she went back to work, but as time went by it became increasingly clear to me that I wanted someone to be home with Clara and that it made the most sense financially and practically for that person to be me.
What have I got myself into?
I had a little bit of experience with kids before being a dad in the form of our three nieces (now three nieces and one nephew). For years I had been the uncle content to play with the kids in the corner instead of engaging in adult conversation.
This was only a little bit of experience though, and I worried about spending day-after-day with our daughter. Won’t she get bored? Won’t I get bored? What if I do something wrong?
I’m sure most parents have had these feelings at some point and likewise I’m sure most parents have learned that you just figure it out along the way.
What I’ve learned being a stay-at-home-dad
Throughout my first few months at home I’ve learned there are some valuable traits to being a stay-at-home-dad. Patience, kindness, curiosity, and enthusiasm I have learned are the traits that help me the most.
I always strive to be patient and kind with my daughter, though I’m sure there are times where my fuse is short. I’m always cognizant of the fact that she’s only 16 months old and everything is a learning exercise for her. This is where my own curiosity and enthusiasm can come into play. Watching her become fascinated with snow, can lead us to spending an hour playing and learning all about it.
And that’s the best part of being a SAHD. The smiles, the learning, and the look in her eye when she’s just amazed by something.
That will never get old.
And while our journey is relatively young, I look forward to teaching her and having her teach me more as the months and years go by.
What’s your stay-at-home-parent story? I’d love to hear it in the comments!
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