Though the news has made its rounds on Facebook and to some family and friends, I guess this will count as my blog’s official announcement that I will be putting away the dress clothes, putting on an apron in its place, and becoming a Stay at Home Dad! I didn’t get laid off or anything like that. It was a decision that Lindsey and I had contemplated for awhile based on a couple of reasons.
The first being simple. It has been recommended many times during our adoption process with Jackson that one of us needed to stay home initially for the first year. As happy and joyful as our boy seems to be, it is very common for newly adopted orphans to suffer some of the same symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. We knew one of us needed to stay home and that daycare wouldn’t be the best option for our family. Jackson needs a lot of one on one attention with us as he learns to trust us as parents and learn that we are in control and not a handful of nurse aids at an orphanage. There’s a lot of psychological issues we have to be careful of, so we needed one of us being home at all times and getting him on a routine to help him learn his new life as he is developmentally behind, though doing well.
Put simply, that is the major and real reason why one of us is staying home. As for why it will be me becoming the primary caregiver simply has to do with money. I’m not ashamed of it, but I never really was the breadwinner in our family. My drive to work and salary was comparable to what we would be spending on day care anyway. Besides the fact that I really was in a point in my career where I wanted to move on. I am very thankful for the opportunities that were given me these last four years, but I have other interests and desires I want to fulfill and I need this sort of change to make that happen. Not mention, Lindsey is happy in her career as a tax accountant and has numerous opportunities ahead of her.
I’m absolutely thrilled for the opportunity ahead of me. My “first day” will be the Monday after the New Year. I have always been kind of a geeky tech guy and my interests for working on cars, hunting, and other manly things like that have always been on the low side. I love children and I think my personality might be a good fit for a job as this. However, I’m a little lazy when it comes to chores and I’m not sure how creative I will be with meals or crafts, so I have a lot to learn. It will be funny to reach out to other “moms” in my life for tips and the like.
I actually plan to start blogging daily about my adventures as a Stay at Home Papa. I’m hoping I can reach out to other stay at home dad’s who are as clueless as I am. I invite you to join me in 2011 as I tackle this new challenge and learn to be a homemaker to my wonderful wife and new son.
To everyone reading I hope your 2010 was as blessed as ours and I wish you all a Happy Near Year in 2011!
3 responses to “From Number Cruncher to Sandwich Maker. Here’s to 2011.”
SCOTT HOWELL!!! You are my hero!!!! Your sacrifice warms my heart! ENJOY EVERY SECOND!! It flys by, my friend.
LOVE it 🙂 I have a bunch of good crock pot meals if you would like me to share. Super Easy!
it’s odd how after years of deriding, ridiculing, demeaning, stay at home moms, it’s suddenly been decided that a stay at home parent is absolutely essential. At least, as long as the stay at home parent is male. What happened to the insistence on the absolute necessity of having your own career, being independent and self sufficient? I guess that only applies to women. But how can that be? How can we spend the past 40 years telling women it’s best for them, for their children, for their future, if they have a career outside the home, but now tell men that it’s best if they don’t have a career outside the home?