Prior to joining Savinly, I spent roughly two years as a stay-at-home parent.
I initially returned to the workforce after my daughter was born (after taking 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act), but I left that job, relocated up north and devoted my days to being my child’s full-time caregiver.
While I’m deeply thankful for that period and cherish the memories we created, I’ll be straightforward: Being a stay-at-home parent is hard work.
For those wondering what a stay-at-home parent does all day, the concise answer is: a lot. The detailed reply would require an entire novella.
It’s a bit like belonging to a private club. You don’t truly understand it until you’re in it.
And though I could take solace in knowing I wasn’t alone and that there’s a strong sense of solidarity among stay-at-home parents (even if I wasn’t one to join the various mommy groups), the experience of a stay-at-home dad is even more invisible to the wider community.
More Men Are Taking on Stay-at-Home Fatherhood
Back in 1989, only 4% of American fathers living with their children were stay-at-home dads, according to the Pew Research Center. Fathers represented merely 10% of all stay-at-home parents then.
But as more women assume the primary breadwinning role and rigid gender norms loosen, an increasing number of men are becoming stay-at-home dads.
By 2012, about two million — roughly 7% — of fathers living with their children were stay-at-home dads, per the Pew Research Center.
The share of fathers serving as the main caregiver rose to 16% of all stay-at-home parents.
Resources Designed to Support Stay-at-Home Fathers
In honor of Father’s Day, I want to give a nod to all the dads who change diapers, prepare bottles, wipe up spit-up, wrangle toddlers, arrange play dates and more — working around the clock from sunrise to sunset (and often several times during the night).
Here are some resources to help you get through the day.
1. Read and Educate Yourself
Fatherly is a site focused on helping dads succeed at parenting. Fathers can find articles with guidance and tips for many stages of raising kids, from conception to negotiating the tween years.
Recent pieces include advice on opting for a backpack instead of a diaper bag and discussions of paternity leave trends. Don’t miss this entertaining feature onhide-and-seek tactics from a Navy SEAL.
2. Find Community Online
The National At-Home Dad Network offers community and support for stay-at-home fathers while tackling the obstacles they encounter through their parenting path. The group organizes an annualAt-Home Dads Convention. This year’s event runs Sept. 14-16 in Portland.
The network lists dad groups around the nation or you can launch your own.
3. Meet Other Fathers in Person
City Dads Group is committed to helping fathers (not only stay-at-home ones) connect. Dads can join local groups for variousmeetups held throughout the year — or start a new chapter if one isn’t nearby.
The group also runs New Dad Bootcamps in New York City to help expectant and new fathers prepare for parenting life.
Fathers can explore the site for relevant articles or tune into a dad-focused podcast.
4. Relate Through Father-Focused Blogs
Connect vicariously with other dads via parenting blogs written for fathers. Sites like DadNCharge, Dads Who Change Diapers, Dad and Buried, Dad Or Alive and Mr. Dad are a good start.
If you’re thinking of launching your own dad blog to build a community around shared experiences, take a look at this comprehensive guide to getting started written by Savinly CEO Kyle Taylor.
For those balancing fatherhood with the pressures of career and home, you might also find this piece on dads struggle work life balance relevant and helpful.
Laura Bennett is a staff writer at Savinly. She believes stay-at-home parents deserve more recognition for the incredible work they do.
