Guys: How many of you have experience as a stay-at-home dad?

Might be one for ATA.

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"do cultural norms/policy/institutions act to discourage men from making that choice?"

Yes, especially cultural norms. I wonder what stats say about re-entering the workforce after being a stay-at-home parent.

Sending out resumes? Fuhgeddaboudit! No one wants a guy whose first priority isn't the job, not even former employers.

Thanks.

On both ends. Especially your retelling of it.

EDIT: To his post, not yours.

just different.

The things that are hard are not always the same things, and as such not always easy to plug into a straight 1-1 comparison.

I'm not sure I would call it a "privilege", for us it was a decision we made from the very start. Due to the circumstances we are in we had no choice. If we were going to have a child I would have to be the stay at home parent. A responsibility I was/am more than happy to take on.

As for the poll question, it is hard and can be difficult but it is the most rewarding time I have spent in my life (I don't like to call it a "job" or "work".

It only amounted to a few weeks. I just remember wishing it was longer.

I almost certainly would not have been able to handle it. Fuck it, take out the almost. There is no way I would have been able to handle it. At 23 I was still into running around and partying all night. Luckily, my wife was very mature for her age and the kids were taken care of perfectly. My mom and dad helped a lot too.

I would not have found it to be a privilege and I know it wasn't easy. I'll take the day job any day.

For some reason, this option was not there.

It wasn't something I wanted, 2 blown knees & a bad back made the choice for me. I'm not a religious person, but I believe sometimes things happen for a reason. My son has autism & was mistreated at a daycare & by a few private sitters we had left him with, my getting hurt on the job was a blessing as far as me being able to stay home & take care of him myself. I love my son & he's worth the pain I go through every day to be with him. A lot of people see us as 2 deadbeats sucking off the government tit, but neither of us ask to be handicapped . And I spent 2/3 of my adult life working away from home & my family as a soldier & a merchant marine. I feel I've more than paid my dues. Sorry, got on my screw the republican soapbox for a minute!

Actually, we're all a little better off that you're there for him.

Very similar stories here, autism and all. Drop me an DU mail if you want to talk about it.

... and welcome to DU!