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Off to Work We Go?

Two Dads Sound Off About Going Back to Work After Baby

By Donna Smith

New mothers debating whether to go back to work or become a stay-at-home mom is nothing new. But today, more and more fathers are deciding to take on the role as the stay-at-home parent. The traditional "working man" will never go out of style, however, and many men feel that working outside the home makes them an even better parent when they are home. Two fathers explain why the decision to stay home or work was the right one for their family.

"Working makes me a better dad because it gives me time to recoup," says Todd Franco, a father of three from Erie, Penn. "It gives me a chance to be an adult and not have the demands of home to deal with. The good thing is when the day is done, I feel refreshed and much more equipped to deal with my home life. That makes me feel good about the time I spend with my family and, in turn, translates to me feeling good about the time I spend at work."

Patience is also an issue. "As much as I appreciate the important job my wife does at home, I know that I do not have the patience that is required to be with children all day, every day," says Franco. "I have to have things done just so, and that doesn't fit well into a child's world. I am a very organized, clutter-free person. I can deal with disorder part of the day, but I can't handle it all day."

Want to see more?

• Making Change Work: Husbands and Wives in Stay-At-Home-Dad Families
• Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Pros and Cons of Being a Stay-at-home Dad
• That's My Job: A Journey to Become a Stay-at-Home Dad
• Join the discussion on our Family.com community!
• Guilt and the Stay-at-Home Dad: Lessons on Letting Go and Accepting the Now

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