Day in the Life of a Stay At Home Dad

I’m a Stay at Home Dad.  That may frighten some dad’s, I know it frightens me everyday.  My wife and I have two girls age two and a half, and one.  Before we had our first daughter Penelope, we decided that it made more sense financially for me to stay home and look after her.  At the time it sounded like the easiest job I could have. I was kinda wrong.  It’s hands down the hardest, most frustrating thing I’ve ever done.  Then we got pregnant with our second child, Harper.  Everyone says “If you have one, two is just as easy.” WRONG.  It’s twice has hard.  My wife Kati works 65 hours a week, so you can imagine what my day is like.  If you can’t, here it is…

8:29AM- Light breaks softly across the bed, birds are chirping, everything is right with the world.

8:30AM- TOTAL CHAOS! From Penny’s room all I can hear is DADDY DADDY DADDY… then Harper starts crying.  After diaper change we head down stairs for juice and bagels. Then to the couch for whatever Nick Jr. has on.

9:30AM- Now that breakfast is done and they’ve started to play, I try and sneak some ESPN or FOX SOCCER, or I make coffee.  I usually just end up making coffee.  Girls don’t like Sportscenter, not even at two years old.  “Watch my Franklin!”

10:45AM- Now that I’m awake, we get some music going on the computer or the record player, and build a fort out of blankets in the living room, have a dance party, or play dinosaurs.  Sometimes all three.  During all this I have to play referee betweet the two of them.  Hair pulling, bitting, pushing, girl fight stuff.  One wants to play the other doesn’t. Its like this all day. Everyday.

12:00PM- Lunch Break.  We do sandwiches or fish sticks, fruit, things like that.  They fight over who has what and how much they have or don’t have.  Needless to say I don’t get to eat.

1:30PM- Nap Time.  Thank God.  The down side here is our youngest sleeps on me and the oldest next to me.  But thats alright, cause I get to watch “Daddy shows.” AKA, DVRed shows.  Nap Time can last anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours — it depends on how hard we played that morning.  Most days it’s just over an hour.

2:45PM- Snacks and more chaos. This time it’s more like Lord of the Flies, set to the Fresh Beat Band.  We play hard and we play rough.  After I get them going I try to break away to check email, twitter, and things like that.

4:00PM- I try and wind them down before Mommy gets home, more snacks and some Nick Jr.

5:15PM- Mommy home! The girl swarms her. Like she has been gone for weeks.  I start dinner while they play.

6:30PM- Bath Time. My kids love water for some reason.  I have no idea why. Like fish they are.

7:15PM- Bedtime for Penny.  And boy is she ready for it.  We say goodnight to her stuffed animals and Daddy tucks her in.  Harper takes a bottle and most nights she takes a nap until 9 or so. If It’s just me she sleeps on me and I try and catch up on email and the like on the iPad, if my wife is home she watches “Mommy shows.” and I play xbox and/or have a glass of whiskey.

9:00PM- After Harper wakes up, we all have a snack.  Sometimes I get to have a adult conversation with my wife, mostly we just get ready for bed.

10:00PM- Kati and Harper head to bed, then it’s Daddy time.  I try and unwind and get a shower or a few more drinks, some TV or some mindless activity.

12:00AM- Bedtime for Daddy. I know how soon the midnight feeding is coming.  After that its time to start all over.

There you have it.  It doesn’t always go like this, somedays are much worse, some much easier.  We try and get the park a few times a week.  My wife closes two nights a week, and she’s off two days a week.  On her days off we are a bit more adventurous, well sometimes.

About James Langston

Tags:

You may also like...

  • http://twitter.com/dontaskdaddy protect the innocent

    I work every day. on those occasions when mommy goes out to play I get this experience. A part of me wishes I could do it every day. The other part relishes going to work.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rjjob RJ Lane

    I too am a stay at home Dad with two boys 5 and 1. I have found that while the job is tough it is really satisfying. Things have become a little crazy with my oldest starting school and getting in to lessons of one sort or another. I certainly can relate with the schedule, though I envy that you get to wake at a reasonable hour. My boys wake between 5 and 7 am. I have tried to get a daddy group going, but most of the dads I know cant do things during the day due to work, and mommy groups treat you like a pervert for even asking when they meet up. When I do hit daddy groups they do not really relate to my experience. Its like a third gender, but it is awesome and I am grateful for the opportunity.

  • michellepaduani

    Thanks for sharing James…I am going to share this with my husband who is a teacher (so stay at home in the summer) but now is going to be a permanent stay at home with our 2 year old and 10 month old! He’ll love your story. He loves whiskey too! and blanket forts! We are also moving from Alaska to Mississippi in 2 weeks. Fun Fun!

  • paulie

    I am also a stay at home Dad.We have a 2 year old boy and a six month old daugher.Our days sound very similar.

  • www.thejasongreene.com

    I’m a stay-at-home dad and I feel your pain brother. But I have one problem, you get to sleep in till 8:29? I’ve got 3 kids (8, 6, & 10mo) and I’m wiped out at the end of every day. I love it, but I’m wiped out. My wife is gone from 7:30am till 7:00pm and some days even longer. Frustration and tiredness are encountered throughout the day, but there isn’t a job in the world that I’d rather do.

  • mrbrackett

    Stay at home Dad here, too. Or as we call it, “hausbund” (hows-booond). I just have one 2yr daughter for now, but in a couple weeks we’ll be adding a son. Love your schedule – much like mine with the 8:30am Daddy Alarm, but she waits til late afternoon for her nap (for now) but I can usually get a solid 2hrs. It will probably all change with a new baby. I love what I do, and feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do it. I know it’s not for every guy – for many reasons – but I’m loving that it IS for me.