Are There Any Regrets?
About 2 months ago I was having a phone conversation with an old college friend. He wanted to know how things were going. I told him everything was great. He then came out and asked me something I will never forget. He asked me, “So do you ever regret your decision to stay home with the kids.”
So I think I will answer his question as an article. My answer is straight out “No”. There are no regrets at all, but there are days when I feel tired, not up to the task, or even overwhelmed. Compare that to a normal job and you get the same results. I felt that way when I was out working.
So why don’t I regret it? Those are pretty serious words. Regreting something would mean if I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t make the same choice, and so I have to ask myself that exact question. Would I do it over again if I had the opportunity to go back? Yes, I would make the same choice. I may change a few things I did at the beginning but hindsite is always 20/20 isn’t it?
I love staying home with my children, but some days I do get tired and I do become frustrated and overwhelmed just like everybody else in the world. That part is just a fact of life whether you are an employee at a retail store, a famous actor, a doctor, a psychiatrist, a McDonald’s employee, and yes… even a stay at home father. So the days we are on top of our game we need to ask ourselves if it is all worth it and I would have to say staying home with my children was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I invest daily into my family what some dads will never be able to do. And sometimes I want to ask the question to working dads who had the opportunity to stay home but chose not to if they regret their decision to pound nails instead of watch their children grow up.
Tags: children, dads, kids, Parenting, regrets, Stay at Home DadsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Stay at Home Dads
3 opinions for Are There Any Regrets?
Shane
Oct 18, 2006 at 10:29 am
I seem to always feel like I am not doing enough. When comes to paying attention to the kids I went out and got a DVR to pause tv when they want to talk or need me to do something. I have an “open door” policy when I am working on my sites. But it always feels like I am not doing enough, and boy they take advantage of that.
steve
Oct 18, 2006 at 10:39 am
You should work on the tougher stuff where you need to concentrate a lot during the evening time or nap time. Both of my kids nap for about 2 hours. I can clean or I can work on websites and blogging. Usually I don’t clean… or I split it up.
Then the other times when I am awake I frequently walk by the computer to check on comments (such as this one). But you should spend time with them. Kids should come first. But if you are supplementing an income or are working from home as a primary source and the kids are home with you then that is a different story.
I don’t know your situation and it all depends on their age. Sometimes if my kids are awake and I need to write something I have them right here with me while they play.
What is your situation? Do you work from home?
Inside Fatherhood » Are You Contemplating the SAHD Role?
Dec 2, 2006 at 11:10 am
[…] 1) Did my background influence me to become a stay at home dad? 2) 5 things I learned since staying home with my kids 3) Top 5 hardest things to deal with as a stay at home dad 4) Has having one source of income effected our family? 5) Are there any regrets? […]
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