Stay-at-Home Dad Vs. Working Dad: Let's Explore the Advantages & Disadvantages of Both by Mike Prochaska

There are many advantages and disadvantages of working outside the house vs. being a stay-at-home parent. Some people at work think being a stay-at-home parent is easier than being a preschool teacher. There are advantages and disadvantages to both!

Coworkers: At home my only coworker is my wife, but she's at work for eight to 12 hours a day, so mostly she helps at dinnertime and bedtime. At work, I have lots of different coworkers, but everyone has different views on teaching and teaching styles. I have to adjust to working with other adults who have different views on education, which is a big adjustment because I am such an advocate for freedom of play expression. At home there's no coworkers so I can do whatever activities I want with my kids! But at home there are long hours of being solo and you forget how to talk to adults because you spend all day with kids. So I give coworkers a draw, as it has advantages and disadvantages.

Alone Time: An advantage of going to work is being able to go to the bathroom alone! At home the minute I try to go to the bathroom someone needs something and everyone ends up in bathroom with me.

No Eyes Watching: An advantage of going to work is that no one sees you eating discount Easter candy in the car on way to work and you get to drink coffee in peace in the car. A disadvantage is having to drive to work in traffic vs. just going downstairs in your PJjs. Maybe no one would notice if I came to work in my PJs?

Money: You get paid in money at work instead of hugs and kisses at home.

Exploration: At work I'm stuck in classroom or gym all day. At home I can take the kids on adventures to explore the world. The advantage goes to home in this area! 

Cooking: At home I have to cook food for my kids. At work the kitchen staff makes the food and I just have to serve it to the children. Clearly work wins. Plus, I don’t have to do the dishes at work or buy the food. Again, work wins!

Creativity: At home I have to buy and save everything including scissors, paint and everything for art projects. At work I just go to the supply closet and get what I need. Work wins in this area. At home, though, I still save everything for art.

Time to Unwind: At work I get a 30-minute break every day to eat lunch. At home I only get break if I hide from the children in the garbage or somewhere else where they won’t find me.

The Numbers: There are lower ratios at work. Most of the time at work the ratio of adults to kids is lower than at my house. The ratio is one to four at work and at home most days it's one to six (or more) at home. This advantage goes to home because I like to be busy. But sometimes it's nice to go to work for a break! 

Clocking Out: At home, work never ends. You are always at work. At work, I leave a 3 p.m. to get my kids off the bus to start parenting.

Cleaning: At work, there's a cleaning crew every day that cleans the classroom. At home, I'm lucky to get a maid once a month.

Which do you think is easier, working outside the home or being a stay-at-home parent?

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