Stay at home and still be a man!

In a matter of months I will be setting out on one of the greatest adventures that man has ever embarked on. I will become a stay at home dad. What exactly does this mean? I think a better question is what does it not mean?

It does not mean that I will follow the cults of Martha Stewart or Oprah religiously. It does not mean that I will give up TNA or WWE. It does not mean that I will all of a sudden develop a highly sophisticated fashion sense. And, it does not mean that my cojones will cease to function.

I am under no illusion that being a stay at home dad is no easy task. Will I take care of the household duties? Yes. I will do dishes; with a dishwasher. I will clean the house. However, don’t expect candles and potpourri. More importantly, I will raise and take care of our little one as Dad and not as a substitute Mom. Being Mom is my wife’s job.

On a less combative note, over the course of the next several years I plan on chronicling my progress and growth. From the outside perspective it looks like I am taking all the “womanly” duties on. Oh, combative hat one more time, to those men who want to make skirt or “the little man” jokes, bring it on. You will find that you may have picked a fight with the wrong Dad.

Back on topic, other than breast feeding, what physical things like taking care of kids and the family can I not do? The simple answer is that there are none. Men have been taking care of families for years. They either don’t get credit for what they do or get placed into a stereotypical box of being weak because they are not out in the workforce “bringing home bacon.”

Additionally, I will be addressing some of the research surrounding stay at home fathers. As I find a study or a useful morsel of information that can help explain things, I will pass it along. Take it for what it is worth. Sometimes the research says things we don’t want to hear, but it is reality. Additionally, don’t take it personally. The studies are representative of a whole and not individualized.

Here’s to you, stay at home dad. Another is joining the fold. One that is not going to encourage you to domesticate but instead, Dadmesticate. Take care of your family and do it like a man!

What do you say, have the cojones to leave a comment?