Thread: Stay at home dad is driving me NUTS

If money is not the problem and you just need to get out even for awhile have you considered cooking at a homeless shelter as a volunteer. Helping others in need can be very fulfilling and help you keep your sanity.

Or how about doing what I did for a while: work a coiuple days in the week, and stay home the other days. In my case, I worked 4 days a week, was home 1 day per week. And thanks to various subsidizings, my net income was higher than for working 5/5, for a while

Anyway, If you work, say 2 or 3 days per week, and stay at home the other days, then you get the best of both worlds. The problem with staying at home all days is that you don't have a lot of intelligent or social interaction.

I can relate to that. When I finished my gap year I had about 6 months unemployed before I started working in the City and I was like Jack Nicholson in The Shining by the end of it..! But that was just me on my own.

But if I had kids I think I would rather be at home with them than paying a stranger to bring them up. Its a very fortunate position to be in when one parent can stay at home and one goes out to work. It was far nicer for me to be picked up from school by my mum than by some au pair who'd be going home in 9 months anyway.

If the finances can take it and both parties are happy with the arrangement, I'd stay at home.

I certainly wouldnt go out to work full time just to hand over my entire salary to a nanny. I know a few people who've been in that situation and all of them gave up work and stayed home with the kids.

I would also look into the sort of work you can do from home, be it writing, teaching cooking classes or razor restoration! While the kids are at school this could give you something to do thats not house/home related as well as bringing in a bit of extra money.

When we had children, my wife gave up her career to raise them until they were both in school full time. Now she has a home based business and rebuilding her income.

She never regretted a day she had to spend with the kids - but I regretted every day I could not. I traveled a lot and 60 - 80 hour workweeks were normal.

I would seriously consider building a home based business for yourself.

I have been thinking about working the Chef and kids thing into a "home business". Those of you who have to feed young kids know how hard it is to get them to eat a balanced meal. I have some neat tricks to get some veggies into the kids and may be able to help other Moms or Dads in a cooking for kids class.

The biggest thing now is not having any adult conversation beside the small talk at the park with mostly nanny who are just out of diapers themselves. I was thinking about this post today at the park as I watched all the nanny's on their cell phones without giving at least 100% to the kids they are in charge of. Then there's me, I know my kid, when he or she looks like he will be getting into something they should not be into. Or doing something a bit to dangerous.

I guess it is a bit of relief knowing that I am really not crazy and others have made it through unscaved.

I was laid off for about 5 weeks, wife was at home pregnannt with our first kid, and our second child was due in a couple of months. I started to go stir crazy after week 4, luckily I got picked up after that. For aduly interaction I still go crazy if I don't get sometime with they guys every couple of weeks so we started a man time where every other week we meet for beers at a local bar. Half the guys don't drink so usually a couple of us get a beer and just sit and talk for 2-3 hours, all of us know it keeps us sane and better men because of it.

Originally Posted by fletcherfam

I was laid off for about 5 weeks, wife was at home pregnannt with our first kid, and our second child was due in a couple of months. I started to go stir crazy after week 4, luckily I got picked up after that. For aduly interaction I still go crazy if I don't get sometime with they guys every couple of weeks so we started a man time where every other week we meet for beers at a local bar. Half the guys don't drink so usually a couple of us get a beer and just sit and talk for 2-3 hours, all of us know it keeps us sane and better men because of it.

Sorry I had a laugh at your post...I mis-read the meaning. Your wife was at home pregnant with the first kid and the second kid was due in a few months...WTF??? She hasn't had the first one, yet the second is already due in a few months???! How do you pull that trick off??!
I figured it out though, your pregnant wife was due to give birth to the second child in a few months, so she was at home with the first child. Then you were laid off...Is that right?

Now back to the OP. Would you consider writing a cookbook along the lines of your idea of cooking for kids? I know something like that would be of interest to people in other countries. Just a thought.


Mick

Everyone is trying to make you feel better but in the end being a stay at home dad is something some guys like, some guys tolerate and some guys can't handle it. If I were you I would try and combine the home business with it. Why not do catering?

Originally Posted by MickR

Sorry I had a laugh at your post...I mis-read the meaning. Your wife was at home pregnant with the first kid and the second kid was due in a few months...WTF??? She hasn't had the first one, yet the second is already due in a few months???! How do you pull that trick off??!
I figured it out though, your pregnant wife was due to give birth to the second child in a few months, so she was at home with the first child. Then you were laid off...Is that right?
Mick

I had exactly the same confusion!

I have been give the home business idea a great deal of thought. Honestly I did not even think of it. I think the kids cookbook is an idea that I would love to do. Man its hard getting kids to eat good food. If you can make as easy as feeding some of the garbage that some do you would have a winner.
Catering is another idea but that comes with its own issues.


Reading a new post from Birnando tonight reminded me how blessed my family is. If you have not read it check it out.

I think that being new to the area and not knowing many people here is an issue. I might try to do a Wisconsin meet up, there are a few SRP member from Wisconsin ad see how that goes.