19 Truths About Being A Stay-At-Home Dad

No, you're not babysitting.

1. You will almost definitely grow a beard at some point.

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It will either look awesome and become part of you regular appearance, or, um, disappear after a few weeks.

2. You can get pretty silly when it's just you and the kids.

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Stay-at-home dad Chris Illuminati, for example, shared his funny thoughts on the SAHD life in a series of Post-it notes.

3. If you once thought being a SAHD would allow you to focus on your writing, music, or art, you now think, "Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

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This is because the job of a stay-at-home parent is exhausting and around the clock. You can still be creative, but it's harder than you thought — especially if you're a guitarist with a toddler who wants to touch the strings when you play.

4. You're really sick of not finding changing tables in men's rooms.

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Many men's rooms now have changing tables — and hey, that's great! — but you still find yourself running out to the car to change your kid way too often.

5. Being home more means you have extra time to brainwash, er, introduce your kids to the stuff you dig.

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6. You've had to listen to men say condescending stuff like “You're really OK with her bringing home the bacon?" and "Must be nice to lie around all day!”

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Grrrrr.

7. You've also had to listen to women overly applaud you or give you unsolicited advice about what you're doing wrong.

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8. You've even been asked on many occasions — by men and women — if you were babysitting.

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"It's not babysitting," you think. "It's parenting."

9. Because of this you can sometimes feel lonely — isolated even — especially since there aren't that many men in your circle who are SAHDs.

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10. But the good news is that finding another SAHD isn’t like spotting a unicorn anymore — there are more than 2 million of them.

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There are also many groups online that will connect you with other SAHDs like National At-Home Dad Network, Life of Dad, and NYC Dads Group.

11. In time you will find some like-minded, cool dads and moms in your community and forge your own IRL parent support group.

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12. Some domestic skills take a little time to pick up.

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If you weren't raised with all that much exposure to domestic training, you might have a few hiccups in the early going — but you'll get it in time.

13. You also learn right away there is SAHD stuff you are very good at.

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Changing diapers in a flash? Getting even the worst kid stains out of clothes? Every dad has their SAHD superpower.

14. Depictions of dads as bumbling fools greatly upset you because they directly impact how people view you as a parent.

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No, your home doesn't look like this. No, you don't change diapers in the kitchen.

15. There can be some friction with your partner at first.

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Your partner might have a hard time relinquishing control of the home to you, but if you're patient with each other you will get on the same page before long.

16. Your kids appreciate receiving your expert-level piggyback rides in the daylight hours.

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17. You are also awesome at cuddling, kissing, and comforting your kids.

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You've kissed away countless boo-boos and dried just as many tears.

18. It's incredibly rewarding.

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There's nothing quite like being at your kid's side — day in and day out — as you help them turn into awesome little people.

19. And in the end all that matters is that you and your family are happy — the rest is all noise.

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Parenting Week is a week of content devoted to honoring the hardest job you'll ever love, being a parent. Check out more great Parenting Week content here.

Andrew Richard