Are you a stay at home dad? Or preparing to become one? Take heart, more dads are staying home these days, the reasons are varied; many dads were caught in the cross-fire of lay offs or downsizing. If dad was laid off, fired or downsized, it may be particularly difficult to take on this new role. Simply put, changing roles is not always easy for any man (or woman.)

Some family roles change when the financial structure breaks down or because mom makes more money than dad and role changing seems to be the sensible thing to do. However, there are the men who are choosing to stay home and take care of the kids because they want to take a chance and become an entrepreneur.
Working from home gives freedom to start a business and a better opportunity to make that business a success. This last scenario is becoming more and more acceptable. While it is still unusual to hear a man say “I am a stay at home dad,” the stay-at-home-stigma, real or imagined, is no longer there. Having been close to the mom working, dad stays at home with the children situation, I know for sure this arrangement works very well in some families.

I would guess what is needed for this family turn-a-round to be achieved successfully is the whole hearted commitment from mom and dad. It can't be easy to make the decision to become a stay at home dad.

So, when dad takes over the tasks that are usually left to mom, what can he do to make life a easier for himself? For sure start the day with a real breakfast. I don’t think coffee, orange juice or a Danish counts as breakfast, taking time to eat seems to be the best way to get start the day, keep in mind that dad will need the energy a good breakfast can provide. The up side to this perhaps mom, watching dad take time for breakfast, will be encouraged to take time for a sit down breakfast as well. Arising 45 minutes to an hour earlier may be all that is needed to accomplish this.

Dad, talk to your wife about her daily routine. Don’t make life harder for yourself by starting from scratch. You don't reinvent the wheel, if mom had a regular routine, it may work for you, if it does not, you now know what not to do.

Learn to be flexible and to count to ten or twenty, because little Timmy may not respond to your rules tout de suite the way people at your job did. Remember you may have been boss at work, but at home you are daddy, written in stone rules, won’t apply always apply.