All In a Day's Work...

As the working wife of a stay-at-home dad, I've heard my fair share of "When is he going to get a real job?" "He needs to contribute some income to the family, too." "What does he do all day?"
Over the years, I've learned to quietly smile when confronted with these kinds of comments and simply reply, "Our kids love having a stay-at-home dad. This arrangement works for us. And he does do some house work, cooking and errand running." (so there!)

As I get older and more comfortable in my "working wife of SAHD" shoes, I care less and less about taking the time or energy to defend our lifestyle. I care less and less about what other people think of SAHD-ness. And I feel more passionate about how SAHD-ness is instilling our kids with healthy values and good morals, not to mention boatloads of laughter from having the opportunity to spend their days rough-housing with a dad who loves and cherishes them SOOOOOO much. I feel truly blessed.

Granted, it's not always easy being the working wife, but it's no piece of cake being the SAHD, either. Both jobs require dedication, effort and (ideally) at least seven hours of sleep each night. Even then, there are no guarantees especially with a newborn that likes to stay up LATE most nights. I think we have the best of both worlds for now as we both manage to somewhat keep our sanity with the current routine. The SAHD does have a goal of entering the workforce and actually leaving the house everyday - it will take about another year. It's a struggle on one income that we make work. It's a work in progress. A Family. A Team.