How to survive and thrive as a stay-at-home Dad
Most parents struggle with the task of keeping up with household chores, especially cleaning while at home with children all day. It’s not just Moms staying at home with the kids these days, either. In the United States alone, there are over 2.2 million stay-at-home Dads — and that number continues to grow.
Now that you’re part of this exclusive club of being a stay at home father, you might be struggling to find the right balance to stay productive, happy and positive – and there’s nothing wrong with that. To help you out, we’ve put together the best tips and tricks to balance fatherhood and housework while still being the hero your little ones deserve.
Emotional Preparation for Stay-at-Home Dad Status
Dads deserve tons of respect. Dads face the same challenges as moms when it comes to keeping up with cleaning the house while caring for young children. The difference is men are more likely to have grown up in families where the mothers did most of the household chores and did not necessarily pass on those skills to their sons as they did to their daughters.
Shun stereotypes
While times are changing, cleaning the house is still viewed in much of society as “women’s work”. A bit of an unfair stigma hovers around men who are stay-at-home Dads and charged with upkeep around the house along with caring for the children. But as we all know, this is one of the most challenging jobs around!
Give yourself a pat on the back
Being the primary caregiver to your children is nothing to feel embarrassed about. You need not suffer anyone who speaks of it negatively. Whether you are a single Dad or one who stays home when a partner works, give yourself a pat on the back for everything you do.
Being a stay-at-home Dad is an important job, and you are just as capable of doing it as spectacularly as anyone else, regardless of gender. Embrace being a role model for your children. It’s important to find a way to balance taking care of your little ones while also still taking care of yourself.
Punt perfection
There is no such thing as perfection, only the pursuit of it. Focus your energies on being the best Dad you can be and not on how spotless the house is. Find a minimum acceptable level of cleanliness and order, and then let it go.
It’s the quality time that matters
When your kids look back on their childhood, they’re not going to remember little details like how clean you kept the kitchen when they were toddlers. They will remember trips to the park, going to or watching sporting events, finger painting at the dining room table, and playing hide-n-seek in the backyard.
Recent Comments