A family man’s world, apart from his house, is usually the workplace. It is in the place where he pursues his professional aspirations, practice his school training and earn a decent living that will provide for his wife and kids. It is in its four corners where he carefully charts his future.
Some men though mold their dreams differently. They don’t leave the house to seek livelihood. They don’t stay in the highly competitive confines of the office. Instead of spending most of their waking hours inside a cubicle, they spend them in the comforts of their home. These men have been domesticated; they stay in the house for good. They do the laundry, cook food, mop the floor, brush the toilet and monitor the children. They do these while their wives do the working during the day.
Stay-at-home husbands assume responsibilities to household chores and their number is growing big. Some of them do it because of their own choice. Some are forced to do it by circumstances. For instance, some men get tied up to homely assignments because they have been either laid off from work, recuperating from a serious illness, asked by their wives to temporarily accept a special arrangement or resigned from their job while awaiting a call from a foreign employer.
Surely, some narrow-minded people may cringe at the very thought of men letting their partners earn a living while they themselves watch over the kids at home. Let them think what they want to think. As long as you know that you’re not turning into a complete slob, that you’re doing this only for the time being, and that you’re not abusing your better half, then there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s no mean feat to stay home and be the caretaker of the family. It’s a full time job, in fact. Be proud of being a stay-at-home husband.
1. Don’t feel degraded. – Well-meaning guys may give you insulting comments. Some male career go-getters may laugh at your decision to switch roles with your wife. Your family may even find it rather bizarre to lock yourself up at home and not practice what you have learned from school. Through all these discouragements and shocked reactions, never feel degraded at all. it may be unusual ‘in a society that engages in gender bias to see a man give up his career for a chance to raise his family on-hand. But there’s something heroic in doing the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of keeping one’s family together. Indeed it takes a courageous and secured man to surrender a potentially prosperous career. Consider yourself as one and you’ll boost your own morale.
2. Continue honing your skills. – Being relegated to a domesticated role doesn’t mean that you have to let go of all the things that you have learned and would like to learn. There will always be room for improvement. There will always be time to dip your hands on other worthy activities. During your idle time, when the kids are fast asleep, sharpen your existing talents like reading articles about the advancement of technology in your field. Or continue doing what you used to do at work to keep your skills very much in place. You can also discover other things that you thought you could never do before. This way, you won’t get rusty. You’ll be a rolling stone that won’t gather moss.
3. Know your responsibilities. – A responsible man knows very well that he’s got to do well in whatever undertaking he picks. Thus, he devotes time and effort to ensure that he gets his desired outcome. Your job as a hubby is not for the squealers or the faint-hearted. It involves deep sense of loyalty, bravery, patience, resiliency and determination to succeed. To be an ideal stay-at-home husband, you have to master your duties, understand your capacities and acknowledge your possible weak points.
