I'll Start!

[tt3]

Hello fellow dads,
I'm Tony, been a stay at home dad for a year and a half which coincides with my daughters age :) We're expecting our second at the end of October. I've spent the last month or so looking for a forum for us and lo and behold one appears. Thanks Don!
I look forward to an active forum here,
Cheers all,
t

[Remington]

Hi Tony,

It is a pleasure to meet another SAHD. I have been full blown SAHD now for 1 year. The reason I say full blown is because for 3 years prior I worked evenings and watched my children during the day while my wife went to college.

I have 3 children and one on the way.

Elizabeth is 4 years old
Samuel will be 3 in August
Isobel is 10 months

And dad... (me) is only 28..... :D

[SAHF]

Been a busy man Rem!

I have been a SAHD for the past 7 months. I unlike most SAHDs, I was pushed into it because, the company I worked for closed its doors. Though I sometimes miss the working, I would never give up the time I have my 2 kids!

Don (the other Don)

[Remington]

The other Don,

You are right! I would never give up this job. My wife and I want a large family and I will be the one that takes them to school, pickes them up, does the chores, while my wife goes and works.

We have been very fortunate! My wife's income alone can support us all. Others are not so lucky and both parents need to work.

[SAHF]

We have just as lucky with the wife's income!

But as for the big family...you are a better man than I. Two is enough for me!! :lol:

Summer has started and I ALREADY have our entire Summer activities planned out for me and the kids! And of course, the wife on the weekends! :wink:

[tt3]

the other Don, I was let go a month before my daughter was born, and we just kind of fell into the decision for me to stay home as well. After a few months of looking and looking, it kind of clicked that yeah, it works out for me to stay home with her. Good choice on our part ;)
Remington, we're kind of in the same situation, but I think a lot more people can afford it if they tried, ya know? Its a decision to forgo the big screen tv, new suv, bigger house etc etc....
I digress and take a thread off topic all at once, how do you like that? :D
cheers all
t

[Remington]

There is a difference in getting off topic and letting a topic evolve. :wink:

I agree with getting rid of the SUV you always wanted. The thing you have to learn with wanting a large family or even just a couple of kids is you need to focus on them and not yourself. So forget about all the luxuries you wanted for the moment and focus on the children. Also if you take time you can really cut some corners financially. We like to buy new clothes every now and then but we go to 2nd hand stores for the everyday play clothes.

Don't look down on that stuff or you will be paying 10 times the amount. Also, putting your kids in day care is expensive these days and the risks involved. Half of your weeks wages for one parent goes towards daycare, if not more.

I say if I want kids I might as well be there and raise them right.

I also work from my home. There is no risk and no overhead. If I fail, I have only lost my time and effort. If I succeed, then there is extra income for those luxury items. Or maybe I can look towards my kid's education. hmmmm

[tt3]

I think I can count on my fingers the amount of clothes we've purchased at full price. Rummage sales are freakin' awesome for finds, especially letting your mother-in-law doing the shopping! I'm planning on heading to the "nicer" side of town once the season gears up, there are always decent stuff for sale. Why pay $20 for a pair of new nikes when $2 will do?
And toys? My wifes folks got a little tykes slide from a rummage sale for 1/5th of what they are new...

If I went back to work now (as a teacher) I'd be paying 80% towards daycare. Once they get in school, I'll get re-certified and go back, but now I freelance write once in a while and that works for us.
cheers

[Remington]

You sound like me with the whole mother in-law thing!! :D

My mother in-law actually has a problem and goes second hand shopping every morning for 3 or 4 hours. Her attic and upstairs is full of clothes and the sad thing is most of them still have the tags on them and have never been worn by her yet.

So each week we get a bag full of clothes for the kids. I have 4 overflowing toy boxes. So when my parents call and ask what the kids need it is really hard to tell them. I always say children's books. Even as a parent reading the same book over and over again can get very tiring. Dads like variety too. :wink:

[Don-Dad]

Cool, good active on the first day :D

Alot of people could afford staying at home if they cut out all the luxury's, like the gas guzzlin SUV's that ws mentioned earlier. All the folks living in big houses and think they are giving their kids everything they need by buying them all the "finer" things are making a huge mistake. Kids need love and attention not a new toy every week or a new car when they turn 16.

I wish all dads good luck and please vent here when needed :D

Don - Dadstayshome.com - the real Don , hehehehehehe!

[Anonymous]

:) Hello everyone. I'm Dave from suburban Detroit. I love being a SAHD. My wife and I always planned for it to be this way. She's better at making money and I'm better with kids. Of course the two gaps are not equal. I'm only a little better with kids than she is. She makes about twice the money I do, or did when I worked. My former employer moved their operations out of state just before our son was born, 5-29-03. He's wonderful, which makes this job a lot easier.

[Remington]

Hi Dave, welcome to DadStaysHome.com. I am also new here. :D

[Diamondb]

Hi Dads,

I've been a SAHD for just over 6 months. Originally that wasn't the long-term plan, I had just had it with my employer and so walked out the door. Josh is now 21 months and I have to admit that the past 6 months I have spent with him have been worth more than the 5 years I spent working. Like a few others here, I'm fortunate enough to have a wife that makes more than I could hope to, and with a second one coming the end of September, we decided that it might be more sense financially for me to stay home (daycare for 2 would be nearly 90% of my income).

I'm glad I found some fathers I have something in common with. I look forward to interaction with people that understand my situation.

[tt3]

Hi dave and Diamondb, welcome aboard, we're all new here! ;)
I've been active on a few other forums for my other hobbies, beer, wine and fish, and looking for one for sahds. These forums are an incredible resource for folks with similar interests and situations. I know one other sahd here in Duluth and heard "rumors" of a few others... "ya know, there was a dad at the library story time last week"
But if we spread the word about this forum it can become a great community of dads! Already its got more sahds then I've talked to in person!
cheers, and again, welcome
tony

[Remington]

You are right. SAHD,s are still fairly rare but it is slowly spreading and gaining interest. I know that i see some dads during the day up here in little Bangor, ME pushing their kids in a stroller to the park.

It is still rare enough that I don't know any personally but you know there are some around... :)

Spread the word and we can become our own little force! :wink:

[tt3]

You know Kameapart (kmart) aparently has a mommies club, well, we should get home depot or lowes or something to have a daddies club. No moms allowed, take that kamapart. Or even better, find a local sports bar or eatery... the SAHD happy hour! Bring your kid, 1/2 price on your meal!
*in a loud booming voice* A FORCE TO BE RECONNED WITH!

yeah, I'm published, but I still can't spell... go figure :roll:

Cheers all!
tony

[Remington]

We need to think of a Team Name that when somebody hears it they know not to mess with us SAHDs.

We need to get every SAHD on this planet to send a letter to Home Depot or some fancy Steak House.. hmmmm

I think we are on to something! :D

[Don-Dad]

If we did indeed get some good numbers (dads that is) you never know what or who might be interested in catering to us :D Home Depot home improvement parties, how to's, maybe more content for the DIY Dads section of the site?

[Remington]

That would be cool. Maybe we should start up a SAHD Promotional Comittee where we can help promote the site in our own community and share ideas on gaining more traffic and awareness.

Then we can branch off and start our own nation.... :mrgreen:

OK maybe that is over the top but it was just a typical couped up with kids idea again! :roll:

[Dad4Life]

Since we're doing a roll call, Present!

Hi gents. Been doing this full-time dad thing now for going on 3 years, and must say that it has been a blessing in disguise. I opted to follow a dream of being a PGA golfing professional a few years back, so we once again had the kids put in childcare. I loved the job, but realized that no dream was worth sacrificing every ounce of my family time. During the 18 month stretch of my journey, I had one weekend off. :( So it finally hit me last Spring that there is more to life than what I want. Found a good p/t job and things have been wonderful. I was excited to rejoin the ranks of sahd-hood again. :)

I'm 35 years old, have two kids (8 and 13), and a wonderful wife who I met and married while in the service back in 1989. I've spent a majority of my life either in the military or sales, so getting accustomed to being a full-time dad was an initial challenge. But since my wife has always been the breadwinner of our household, it was really a no brainer. It was a decision that we both look back on as one of the best things we ever did.

A few weeks ago I purchased family season passes at the local amusement park, so me and the kids will be having a blast in the waterpark and on the rollercoasters this summer. We 'encouraged' some of our friends to do the same for their kids, so we have a little group to go with us on some of those days. If you asked my kids if they think having a sahd for a parent is cool, I think you know what they would say. :wink:

We don't take our position for granted. A lot of folks don't have the luxuries we have, and I am forever greatful to the Man above for looking out for us. I just wish that more folks could experience the rewards of being a full time parent.

Nice job with the new site, Don. You needed this for a long time. You finally got it!

Congrats.
Scott (aka Dad4Life)

[Remington]

You know... I was thinking about the whole new nation thing.... *slaps self in face*

Women wanted equal rights. Why not have a nation where Dads go fishing with their kids all day and the chicks go work all day. Sounds cool to me. I am not hostile if I come across that way.... :D :D

[Remington]

We must have posted at the same time. :D

I love to golf and wish I did more of it. I do more of the mini golf. Kids seem to like it! :wink:

I think Don is doing an awesome job and we should stand behind him all the way!

[tt3]

Too funny, I was typing away, scoll down, and lo and behold there were more posts... refresh, more posts!
Remington, I'm glad I'm not the only one who has typical couped up with kids idea again!
:lol:
Minigolf is it for me, I always figured I'm not old enough to golf yet... But my wife told me about the beer cart, so I might change my mind!

tony

[Remington]

Beer cart?? :shock: Now why didn't anybody tell me?? :shock:

Yes... I get so many crazy ideas. Ever since I started staying at home with the kids, I get these grandiose ideas and I have never been so motivated before in my life. I have about 15 things going and I love them all. busy busy....

Oh and coffee helps........ :wink:

[tt3]

Holy cow, that sounds like me too. I was just telling my brother, I wish I could finish some of the projects I've got started...
We've got to do some basement fixing to get it dry so I can move my office down there and give Tara the room its currently in so the new baby can have the nursery... Of course while we're at it why not put a full bath down there, new laundry room, family room, bar sink (I serve my homeberw out of taps) oh, finish the driptray for the kegerater and on and on and on and on :roll:
hooooah, its a wonder I get anything done.
And here I sit wasting valuable nap time chatting on the confuser! :lol:

[Remington]

Oh the ideas flow and flow... it is actually following through with them which took me a while to figure how with 3 kids. :shock:

But, I need time to just sit and type on the computer.

Hey... I already mowed the lawn this morning.... :wink:

[tt3]

Funny, I use nap time usually for chores... laundry, dishes, cleaning... then the rest of it is "TONY TIME"
It was hard to adjust to her only taking one nap during the day, though.

I usually get really good ideas for stories when I mow and then by the time I'm done, totally forget them. I'd probably have more out there if I could just sit down in the middle of a half mown lawn and write 'em down!
:)

[Remington]

My ideas began to flow back a year ago when I actually worked part time in the evenings when my wife got home.

I wrote a book while watching 2 kids. I wrote all day long all winter. Somehow I did it. I could have been playing or spending more time with them but I was so motivated to write this book.

Now I am trying to sell it and promote it! :D

Another funny story was my wife saw this difference in me and thought I went over the deep end. Especially after I told her we should have 16 kids and that we should start our own school for homeless kids. We could have a nice campus and we could hire top of the line prefessors. We can have the kids come and live in a big dorm and we can have activities and it would be great!! :shock:

My wife kicked me out the door and told me to not come back until I sobered up. The funny thing was I wasn't drunk. 8)

[Don-Dad]

Scott, glad to see you back. I remember you from back in the day. Then you left for a while :cry: Hey, I sent you an email many months ago about the golf stuff and doing something online. A buddy of mine who is big on golf is starting a site, slow going though, a PGA pro would add some credibility to a site. PM (private message) me if you ever want to try something online.