Things stay-at-home dads want you to know

Your old-fashioned ideal image of a household has the dad working while mum stays at home taking care of the kids.

Enter the stay-at-home dad (SAHD), the domestic entity that boggles the archaic brain. This diaper-changing, dinner making husband has a few things to say.

#1 Don't call us Mr Mum

Calling dads Mr. Mum implies that only mums have the skills needed to take care of kids. That's like calling working mums Mrs. Dad.

... or baby sitters

who only babysit the kids. What parents do is called parenting, where you raise your kids right.

#2 We can be friends with mums and dads alike

Mums may prefer Moscato while dads go for Scotch, but when you're trading funny stories about the craziest way you've tamed a tantrum, gender does not come into it.

#3 We wish stay-at-home mums would make us feel more welcome

As a dad, I'd be equally interested in my kids' activities. Volunteering in my daughter's classroom or discussing parenting concerns with other parents is something I'dl gladly do. We may not be the same as stay-at-home mums, but we still want to feel like we’re part of a community and valued for what we do.

#4 Most of us are doing this by choice

It's not because we can't find a job. Taking care of kids is a perfectly natural thing, and we just put our kids as our first priority.

#5 Kids don't care

Kids like to be able to head home and enjoy the day with a parent than head to the nearby day-care centre or be alone with your helper.

#6 A dad at a playground is not a pedophile

A guy at the playground should not automatically be considered a threat. Start a conversation with him instead of labelling him.

#7 Stay-at-home dads struggle with the same things as stay-at-home mums

The problems you face with the loss of identity, the discontent, the self-doubt, the insecurity and the sheer boredom? We all face it.

(as told by Marc Lee to Pavin Kaur)

We at theAsianparent wish to thank mums AND dads for their hard work. In the end, the most important part is that our kids grow up well and safe.

Do you know of any SAHD who deserves a shout-out? Share with us below!

Written by

Pavin Chopra

parentingstay at home dad