Thread: Stay at home dad is driving me NUTS

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

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?

This is probably accurate. I liked every minute I spent with my oldest when she was a baby. But I would have gone absolutely nuts if I'd had to do it every day of the week and get no adult interaction anymore with friends or colleagues.

Since you can cook, you might consider cooking healthy meals for people in your neighborhood on order. Plenty of older or people with probalems want to eat healthy but don't have the option of going to the store on a regular basis, lack a decent kitchen or simply can't cook.

Around here there is a fair business to be had this way. And since people have to order beforehand (they have to choose from a weekly menu in advance) and are usually in for the long haul, planning and buying the ingredients is fairly straightforward.

took me awhile to chime in.. but i'm in a similar situation.. i worked as a chef for 13 years before becoming a nanny.. not all 13 years as a real chef.. but i started at the age of 15 in the kitchen and worked my way up.. my last 5 years or so was spent as a souschef and saucier with frequent fillings in as head chef.. the lifestyle is crazy busy and you develop a mindset..

i fell into this nanny job caring for 5 children and i've pretty much become a single dad to them.. i work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.. i love the kids and my life with them.. but i miss my old life.. it's even caused my lifelong relationship with depression to reemerge from time to time..

the one thing that has really helped out with that.. i've had my 12 year old charge film me making instructional cooking videos with the other kids.. we started out real simple with stuff like onion dicing techniques and basic saute method videos.. we've even made full blown recipe videos for fun stuff like shephard's pie and twice baked potatoes... it's been so rewarding for me and i couldn't recommend it enough..

maybe you aren't in the position to do the exact same thing.. but perhaps you could try something along those lines.. either way.. feel free to chat me up if you ever wanna have a little chef talk back in your life.

My parents worked throughout my childhood. I was first put into day time care part time during the week when I was 16 weeks old. Right up until I was 11 I would spend the mornings and afternoons at a 'child minder'. This, clearly, shaped who I am today - I'm perhaps not as close with my parents as I could be - but I don't think that has to be a bad thing. The woman who took care of me when I was really young, and her husband, are my god parents. I am still in touch with them and in fact I had dinner there on Monday, I'm also very good friends with their son. These people are family to me.

Putting your kids in some kind of care isn't always a bad thing. If you land a job or get an opportunity, take it if it's going to make you happier. There's no point being unhappy just to be with your kids 100% of the time - that's not good for you or them.

I couldn't do it.