A stay home dad, just like the terms home father or househusband, refers to the father who stays at home full time and is the main provider of childcare or homecare. Recent census reports showed that the number of stay home dads jumped about 20 percent from the mid-90’s to early 2000.

Why are there more dads deciding to take on full-time childcare responsibilities? There are many answers to this and one of the most common is a simple reversal of traditional parent roles where dad goes to the office to work and mom stays at home to take care of the kids.

In a family with two working parents, traditional roles become reversed when mom has a bigger income than dad and her income alone is sufficient enough to provide for the needs of the entire family. The parents often decide that the dad stays home so that at least one parent can fully attend to the needs of the children.

In some cases, the father becomes a stay home dad because his job allows him to do so. Freelancers and telecommuters or those with home-based jobs are examples of this type of stay home dad. Some fathers who just went through a divorce and received custody of the child decide to become a stay home dad, either working from home or depending on child support, insurance benefits and similar sources of income.

The death of a spouse is also another situation wherein the father decides to stay at home with the child. In rare cases, wealthy dads such as those living off an inheritance also make a commitment to be the primary caregiver to their child or children. In general, whatever the reasons and circumstances are, stay home dads are happy with their decision.

If you are thinking about becoming a stay home dad yourself, there are several questions to ask yourself and things to consider. Of course, you need to talk with your spouse or partner about the idea of you being a stay home dad. If it is okay with both of you, you need to realize that other people such as family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors may it find the arrangement very strange.

Although stay home dads are not unheard of today, it is still not widely accepted by society and there are still many misconceptions. Some people look down on stay home dads, especially those who are not employed, thinking they are lazy, they cannot keep a job or do not have what it takes to succeed in the workplace. Can you handle such biting comments or the stares?

If you could not care less what other people think or say, then are you ready to take on the workload? You would be surprised at how incredibly demanding it is to be a stay-at-home parent. The job is physically exhausting and can also be emotionally stressful. Your patience will be tried again and again.

Unlike an office job where you can just forget everything about work once you get home, you have practically round-the-clock duties and responsibilities to your children from waking up early to prepare the kids for school, to doing house chores, picking up the kids or driving them to wherever they have to be, preparing meals, helping them with homework, getting them ready for bed, and etcetera. It is a good idea to talk to your wife about your expectations to make sure you are ready to meet the demands.

If you are prepared to meet the challenges of being a stay home dad, you will find the experience truly rewarding and beneficial to everyone in the family. Continue to be open with your wife about your thoughts and feelings and learn to adapt to the changes. Keep in mind that this is an opportunity to be with your children and watch them grow. Ten years or so later when your kids start being more independent, you will be thankful you made the decision.