The Stay at Home Dad

Welcome to the new blog, The Stay at Home Dad. If you're reading this, you might be among the legions of fathers who, for one reason or another, raise their kids while their wives work.

I started this blog for two main reasons:

a. I lost my job.

b. I raise my baby daughter while my wife works.

We had been married eleven years when we finally decided it was time to have a baby. We were both working good, full time jobs, had bills paid, owned our house, and had even saved money. I had a good job, I had been there for two and half years. It had good pay and good potential for longevity. So, she got pregnant and soon after, the economy went nuts and I lost my job.

Our baby daughter was born March 4, 2009. After my wife's maternity leave ended, she went back to work and I became a Stay at Home Dad.

It's a true reversal of roles so different than when I was growing up. When I was a kid, my father worked full time while my mother raised us. Ideally it might be that way today. But for various reasons, the fathers are either quitting or losing their jobs and stay home to raise the kids. Our numbers are growing.

I am one of those dads.

Our baby is four months and I am continuing to learn from my experiences of raising her. The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences with other new dads, and invite others to share what they've learned as well. That way, we can all learn from each other and make it somewhat easier to raise our babies through their first years.

I know that I am not an expert, but I have learned a few things that might save other fathers from getting headaches as they struggle to understand what their little noise machines want during their first few months of life. Other similar blogs might feature fathers with multiple children and how they deal with them. This blog focuses on the new baby, at least until our second one comes along. (And by that time, I had better either have my novel published or be working full time.)

Please check back often as I continue to add entries.

And if you're wondering about the blog's address, it refers to my efforts of trying to get my baby daugher to say "daddy." So far, all I hear from her are small shrieks. But I still try.

Upcoming topics:

Why Static is your friend.

The Happiest Baby on the Block. Buy it. Use it.

The Schedule. How it works, why it's important.

How to keep your sanity in between feedings and diaper changes.

How to potentially get more sex from your spouse.

Who has the cheapest (but good quality) diapers? I've got the lowdown on at least two brands.