When I tell people what I do with myself these days, I generally get two responses. "No, seriously, what do you really do?" is one of them. The other is a look of envy, followed by a cluck of the tongue and a wistful glance skyward. "Oh man, I wish."
More and more at-home dads could be facing this same conversational dichotomy. Rebel Dad points out new Census figures that show the number of at-home dads is rising -- from 147,000 in 2004 to 159,000 in 2005. (The Census is slooowwww with new figures, it seems.)
Sure, we take a good-natured ribbing every now and then. People just don't understand our deviant lifestyles, I suppose. But that's fine. It's worth it.
I never thought I would stay home with a kid. I was all about the career -- moving up, moving forward. Working. Working. Working. For a few weeks after I first began staying home, I wondered if I made the right decision. I was accustomed to a fast-moving lifestyle, deadlines and the camaraderie of a workplace -- even if we only talked about "Office Space" all day long.
But over the next few months, I found myself by her side when my daughter took her first steps. I saw her perform her first sign -- "bird," she said with her fingers. I even grew to enjoy changing her diaper -- when we sing songs and clap our hands. Sure, she can drive me batty sometimes, but she knows I'm there if she just needs to sit down for a bit and hug.
It's been about seven months now, maybe eight. I've lost count. But I can't think of anything else I'd rather do. I hope the growing ranks of at-home dad feel the same.
