Before you Stay at Home

The stay at home dad lifestyle is rewarding. But there are some things to consider before you decide you want to become a full time father. In many cases, some of the issues don’t line up they can be fixed with some minor adjustments.

Personality

Single most important concern over whether you should stay home is how you handle the day to day activities. If the businesses of raising children, household chores, and running errands, sounds nightmarish and stressful then perhaps stay at home fathering is something to reconsider.

Another consideration is the isolation factor. Unlike many stay at home moms; dads have fewer (if any) groups and social activities that are father friendly. If you are unable to deal with little social contact, this is another aspect that should make you reconsider.

Economics

The second major concern of the would-be stay at home dad is finances. Can your family sustain itself on the sole income of just one provider. If not is it possible to work from home or make some extra income while staying at home as a dad?

Many families discover that after budgeting their income and expenses, and reducing their costs of actually working (such as childcare, clothing, transportation, and out of the house meals)they, in fact, can afford for a parent to stay at home. Keep in mind that you expenses as above can’t always be eliminated but merely reduced.

Career

Even if you don’t truly like your career, and staying at home is both affordable and enjoyable. Think ahead to when the stay at home lifestyle ends. For many parents, the stay at home lifestyle is merely temporary, such as when their child reaches pre-school age or even kindergarten.

Will your career suffer from having taken such a large break to stay at home and raise your children? If it does suffer, does this matter much to you?

Statistics show that a significant percentage of parents actually change careers upon returning to work. This is in large part to the need for flexibility and lower stress than a previous career might have allowed, leading the parents returning to work to seek part time work.

Family Concerns

It’s sometimes assumed that if one parent were to stay home that it would “obviously” be the mother. However, in the spirit of sexual equality in the home, plenty of men would love the opportunity. This can lead to miscommunication and hurt feelings if not handled properly.

Sometimes though, it’s a no brainer. One parent has an advancing career that is providing most of the income for the home. That parent obviously can’t put a career on hold.

Other times it’s not so cut and dry. Your wife may be assuming that she’ll stay at home and raise your children but if you deeply wish to become the stay at home dad you need to discuss it.

Sit down with your spouse and talk about your options. Go over this article with her and discuss how to make your situation work best. The key to covering all of the bases and making sure it’s the right fit is communication. If you have concerns, voice them.

There are many aspects to consider when deciding on this kind of lifestyle change. It becomes very important for parents of young children to consider the future and decide what they feel is best for the raising of their child. Because beyond all else the largest concern is what’s best for the kid(s).