At over a year and a half of being a stay-at-home dad, I know I still have a lot to learn and experience. That said, I’ve also come a long from the first days of my at-home life. So, when I read a recent post on the Baby Center Blog title You’ll Love these 10 genius tips from a stay-at-home dad, I was mostly able to understand and relate to them.
First off, I’d like to say the stay-at-home dad of three is spot on with his advice, and I think any parent currently or considering staying at home would benefit from heeding his tips. They’re easy to incorporate (for the most part) and simple to understand, so I thought I would share them here along with where I stand for each one. Let’s get started, shall we?
Bam! Right off the bat my gut was twisting in guilt after reading this. But then I realized she’s not even 2 yet and we do get out of the house everyday for a walk around the neighborhood; sometimes even going over to one of her peers’ house too. Plus, grocery shopping happens at least once a week, so there’s that.
My wife made me feel better after I exposed my guilty feelings by letting me know right now it’s okay just to have fun at home while she’s younger and as she gets older, we’ll go and do more things. I can’t explain how heavily this was wearing on me, so a million thanks to my lovely wife for easing my angst!
I’m fairly good with this one. I can’t stand to leave a dirty spoon in the sink, so dishes are always done. I almost always have several food options in the fridge that I prepared because yes, you really never know what tomorrow will throw at you. I do know, however, that Avery will most likely throw some sort of food and/or drink at me or the floor each and every day. So, leave a cloth lying around and ready in every room, you’ll need it!
So true, and a big reason on why I vacuum every day. I also started “making” (just pulling the sheets up to make them straight) the bed for this reason. When you’re around the house all day, you just feel better if it looks better. Try it, if you aren’t already.
We can count on our hands and toes the amount of times Avery has watched TV, but I do let her watch YouTube videos on the iPad when eating lunch most days. She enjoys Sid the Science Kid the most, and I won’t lie, I like it too. Hmmm, I bet Bill Nye the Science Guy would be fun…..
This is a good one, and I have no problem here. Food, fitness, cars, reading, watching shows on Netflix, and unsolicited advice giving; I’m able to hold a conversation with most people on a multitude of topics . Of course, as an introvert, it’s not on a frequent basis, but it’s good to know anyway.
TAKE THIS TIP SERIOUSLY! I have been very bad about this and only now have I improved (I hope. Have I, dear?) and still need to work on it. This is very hard to follow since the working parent obviously misses the kid(s) and wants to spend time with them before bedtime, and by then, it may not leave much time before needing to get to sleep to start the day over again.
We can make excuses all day, but just a simple hug can work wonders. The power of touch and a few loving words goes a long way in showing appreciation and acknowledging one another.
Holy crap, yes! Get two! Make a big batch of oatmeal for breakfast in one and some sort of dinner/lunch in the other. I used to only cook something in the slow cooker on the weekends, but now it’s a daily thing. We all have a healthy and tasty (most of the time) meal to eat together and usually enough left over for Kelley’s work lunch and Avery to eat too. This is not a panacea for stress, but it sure does knock it down a good deal.
Yeah, that 45 minutes used to be 2 hours what seems like a long, long time ago. This me time is usually when I blog or just zone out looking food or fitness sites. I also stay up late when everyone is in bed just because it’s quiet and I can be alone in my thoughts. Of course, my sleep suffers, but I feel I need it too much to give up.
Fact. I can be bad about not sending pics to Going Mom while she’s working, but she’ll make sure to ask demand a cute pic when I fall behind. To add to this, Mondays can be the hardest, so have a pic or 10 ready to launch through the airwaves to her phone/computer the beginning of each week.
Hell yeah! There should be ZERO shame as an at-home parent. If you have any, lose it now, and remember your emotions can speak volumes to those little eyes that constantly watch you. My wife and I have to remind ourselves and each other of this all the time, but it’s true.
Staying at home full time is hard work, but don’t confuse it with being a job, because it’s not. Parenting is quite possibly the most important thing any of us will ever do, and therefore should be done with vigor and pride! This goes for the working and at-home parent, we’re all parents, and we all have wondering eyes on us learning from our actions.
I won’t say that I go through my slump days worrying about what the future holds as far as jobs are concerned or just about how the food I made that day looks unappealing (or is), but for the most part, I maintain my pride in what I do and definitely have no regrets. If it wasn’t for my wife going to work for our family, I’d be lost, and I’m forever grateful for what she’s doing for us to make it all happen.
Again, this is great advice for any stay-at-home parent, and as you can see, advice I still need to work on in some areas. But hey, just like most things in life, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s best to remain steady and learn as you go.
Be sure to go to the actual article and read the comments for more advice and just some funny things people say.
The author of the article, Carolyn Robertson, asked what additional advice readers would give to a stay-at-home parent, so I’ll pass that question on to you. Leave your wisdom in the comments below, maybe it’ll help someone else, like me!
