When people think about dads, they think of breadwinners. Men who are always at work, or even working abroad, trying to provide for their family, while their wives are usually the ones who stay at home.
As for me, I’m also a dad, a stay-at-home dad, and I’m proud of it!
I wanted to watch my children grow up
Being a stay-at-home dad wasn’t something that my wife forced on me. Nor did I become a stay-at-home dad because I’m lazy, or I just didn’t want to work. Nor because I’m a ‘lesser man’ as some of my friends used to say.
I became a stay-at-home dad because I wanted to be the one to take care of our kids, to be a more hands-on dad, and because I wanted to watch my children grow up.
I wanted to see their first steps, hear their first words, and be the first to greet them when they woke up. I don’t have anything against nannies (I grew up with one), but I wanted to be the one to take care of my kids, and to be responsible for their well-being.
It doesn’t make me any less of a man
Of course, my choice to be a stay-at-home dad wasn’t understood by everyone. Most of my friends joked around, telling me that my kids should call me mom instead of dad, and asked me if my wife was the ‘man of the house.’ I knew they were joking around, but somewhere deep inside, it hit a nerve.
There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to who takes care of the kids and who’s the one to work. These days, gender roles are practically nonexistent these days. I shouldn’t be judged for wanting to be the one to take care of my kids, and respecting my wife’s choice to stay in her chosen career.
My wife makes time for our family, and she focuses completely on us once she’s at home, so she’s also pretty close with our kids.
Being a dad goes beyond simply working, and providing for the family. Being a father means you’re being a parent, and parents, especially dads, need to put their family first before their pride.
I’m a proud stay-at-home dad, and I’m not less of a man for choosing to do so.
READ: 10 Things my FIRST year of fatherhood taught me!
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