Whether it has been nuts and meat or money, the man has always gone out to hunt and gather. The woman has always stayed back to keep the home and family in order. This has been the case for thousands of years. But it had to begin to change at some point. We happen to be living in that time. With more women in the workplace, millions of families opt for the man staying home. The decision will often have a lot to do with which person can bring in more money while outside of the home. The other will stay home by default. Day care is not an option for many families, mostly due to money, but also because of health and safety concerns. All these circumstances will sometimes lead to a man staying home to watch the children. However, it’s a little bit different than a woman staying home.
Stay-at-home moms will take care of the kids, do the laundry, wash the dishes, clean the house, and constantly stay busy. Men, on the other hand, usually take a somewhat different approach. Many stay-at-home dads feel as though they don’t have time to do house chores while watching the kids from home. When the kids nap or are occupied with other activities, dads will often attempt to find ways to bring in money themselves. Most men don’t like that they’re not the bread winner in the family. They feel it’s embarrassing and some men are even ashamed of it. This doesn’t mean they resent their wives. That’s not the case. They simply want to make some money to pay bills. It makes them feel more accomplished as a husband and father. This can lead to some challenging situations.
Since a dad will spend any free time finding ways to make money through a home-based business, doing freelance work, or by buying and selling, he will not have time for house chores. When his wife comes home, she is not going to be pleased to see an unkempt kitchen, a messy living room, and dirty bathrooms. She had a long day at work and wants to see her kids. She doesn’t have the time or energy for house chores. This will often lead to arguments, not over money, but over time. She has a point, but so does he. The problem here is that both parties are right because they’re both doing the best they can. And if you’re asking yourself why he shouldn’t do the house chores when she gets home, he’s either going to look at that time as an opportunity to make some real money or to relax for a few minutes. Since each person knows the other is trying their best, these fights will not often be serious. The best way to approach this is to devise a plan of when who will do what. If both parties can stick to their responsibilities, everything will work out much better. And if he wants to get more work done, he can have an allotted amount of time on the weekends. If you find yourself in this situation, just be sure to make the family a priority on the weekends. Five hours of work in the morning or at night for two days should be an ample amount of time to pay a few bills. This way, you will be making your financial contribution and still have an opportunity to spend quality time with the family.
If you’re not the type of person who feels the need to contribute in a financial sense, you better make sure all house chores are complete once your wife gets home. This is only fair. It’s also a way to show your contribution to the household. If you think this will be boring, there are ways to make it fun. You can play music, have your kids help, and even see how fast you can complete each chore, or keep a running time for all the chores. You can then reward yourselves with a snack.
Stay-at-home dads exist, but they’re definitely a different breed than stay-at-home moms.