Comments on: What If My Husband Became a Stay at Home Parent? http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/ Attempts at a Sustainable Lifestyle... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:47:07 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Saturday Links | Counting My Pennies http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/comment-page-1/#comment-2657 Saturday Links | Counting My Pennies Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:51:37 +0000 http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/#comment-2657 [...] What If My Husband Became a Stay At Home Parent? [...] [...] What If My Husband Became a Stay At Home Parent? [...]

]]> By: Ashley @ Wide Open Wallet http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/comment-page-1/#comment-2196 Ashley @ Wide Open Wallet Sat, 02 Aug 2008 06:36:25 +0000 http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/#comment-2196 Yeah, I'm a stay at home parent and believe me... free time is hard to come by. I even get jealous of my husband's lunch hour. lol. Or even his commute. Seriously, I would pay for 30 minutes alone in the car once in a while. Yeah, I’m a stay at home parent and believe me… free time is hard to come by. I even get jealous of my husband’s lunch hour. lol. Or even his commute. Seriously, I would pay for 30 minutes alone in the car once in a while.

]]> By: Four Pillars http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/comment-page-1/#comment-2195 Four Pillars Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:04:28 +0000 http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/#comment-2195 I'll ditto what Brip Blap just said. I went through a similar time-off and I can tell you I am glad to be back at work so I can finally get some stuff done! Your husband will be in for the shock of a lifetime if he really believes he will have anything more than nap time to do anything. Mike I’ll ditto what Brip Blap just said. I went through a similar time-off and I can tell you I am glad to be back at work so I can finally get some stuff done!

Your husband will be in for the shock of a lifetime if he really believes he will have anything more than nap time to do anything.

Mike

]]> By: brip blap http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/comment-page-1/#comment-2189 brip blap Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:17:27 +0000 http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/#comment-2189 That's a similar thought process that my wife and I went through before our first child, and she ended up staying at home for our first and now second children. I have to sound a massive alarm on these statements, though, as Kay did. I base this on my wife's experience over the last 2.5 years and my two 6-week stabs at problogging where I "watched the kids and worked from home": "he would have a lot of free time for his own projects": you may think that being a stay-at-home parent gives you some free time, and it does at first when the infant is still sleeping a lot, but trust me - once they start walking you will never have 30 uninterrupted minutes to accomplish ANYTHING. "He also has tons of movies he would like to watch, dozens of books he wants to read, and so much stuff he wants to learn." See above. Between washing, playing, feeding, etc. it's not like you have hours of quiet time to watch TV or read books. "he could just hang out with all the other stay at home parents he knows". Kids are on different sleeping schedules, it's tough to trek over to someone else's house, and it's not that relaxing to be around a half dozen toddlers. "one of the hubby’s best friends has a work schedule where he gets home in the early afternoon so they could hang out." If your husband's best friend enjoys hanging out while your husband spoons strained carrots and changes poopy diapers he'll be a good best friend indeed. I know that sounds harsh but my wife had big plans to "do all that stuff she never had time for" when she quit her corporate job. She has less free time now, and with two forget it. Just be realistic - child care is not easy or predictable! All that having been said, I think having one parent stay home results in massive improvements in vocabulary, self-confidence, health, etc. We see that compared to neighbors with kids in day care or with nannies without a doubt. That’s a similar thought process that my wife and I went through before our first child, and she ended up staying at home for our first and now second children. I have to sound a massive alarm on these statements, though, as Kay did. I base this on my wife’s experience over the last 2.5 years and my two 6-week stabs at problogging where I “watched the kids and worked from home”:

“he would have a lot of free time for his own projects”: you may think that being a stay-at-home parent gives you some free time, and it does at first when the infant is still sleeping a lot, but trust me – once they start walking you will never have 30 uninterrupted minutes to accomplish ANYTHING.

“He also has tons of movies he would like to watch, dozens of books he wants to read, and so much stuff he wants to learn.” See above. Between washing, playing, feeding, etc. it’s not like you have hours of quiet time to watch TV or read books.

“he could just hang out with all the other stay at home parents he knows”. Kids are on different sleeping schedules, it’s tough to trek over to someone else’s house, and it’s not that relaxing to be around a half dozen toddlers.

“one of the hubby’s best friends has a work schedule where he gets home in the early afternoon so they could hang out.” If your husband’s best friend enjoys hanging out while your husband spoons strained carrots and changes poopy diapers he’ll be a good best friend indeed.

I know that sounds harsh but my wife had big plans to “do all that stuff she never had time for” when she quit her corporate job. She has less free time now, and with two forget it. Just be realistic – child care is not easy or predictable!

All that having been said, I think having one parent stay home results in massive improvements in vocabulary, self-confidence, health, etc. We see that compared to neighbors with kids in day care or with nannies without a doubt.

]]> By: Sam http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/comment-page-1/#comment-2185 Sam Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:51:21 +0000 http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2008/07/27/what-if-my-husband-became-a-stay-at-home-parent/#comment-2185 Wow! That your husband even consider being a stay-at-home dad is really something you must be proud of. Most dad never like the idea of taking care of the kids while wife works because it hurts their "ego". Anyway, my wife and I are actually living with a single income, that is from me. She resigned from her treasury managerial job last Feb and I'm now the source of cash flow in the family. For me its the best decision we did. Knowing that my baby will be raised by my wife gives me the confidence that my son will grow with the right values, as opposed to sending them to day care or having somebody else do it for us (which is pretty normal here in Philippines) Sam Fix My Personal Finance http://fixmypersonalfinance.com/ ps: he may also consider blogging, who knows he might earn more than you do on blogging alone*laughs* Wow! That your husband even consider being a stay-at-home dad is really something you must be proud of. Most dad never like the idea of taking care of the kids while wife works because it hurts their “ego”. Anyway, my wife and I are actually living with a single income, that is from me. She resigned from her treasury managerial job last Feb and I’m now the source of cash flow in the family.

For me its the best decision we did. Knowing that my baby will be raised by my wife gives me the confidence that my son will grow with the right values, as opposed to sending them to day care or having somebody else do it for us (which is pretty normal here in Philippines)

Sam
Fix My Personal Finance
http://fixmypersonalfinance.com/

ps: he may also consider blogging, who knows he might earn more than you do on blogging alone*laughs*

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