The Stay-at-Home Dad Handbook Review
While the day-to-day, 9-to-5 (only it's sometimes more like 24/7) career of child-rearing is still largely a female domain, Mr. Mom is no longer a movie cliche, but an SAHD, or Stay-at-Home Dad. As more mothers bring home larger pay checks, and more paying jobs can be done at home, more fathers find themselves able and willing to do the daycare thing. Thus the rise of dads like Peter Baylies, founder of the At-Home Dad Network and publisher of its newsletter, and thus this very useful and pragmatic guide for "Men Who Clean Bathrooms and the Women Who Love Them."
The Stay-at-Home Dad Handbook would be an excellent tool for any expectant parent, male or female, who wants to look after both home and children. Baylies is full of clear and clever advice about establishing routines, cleaning house (and how to schedule this around the needs of a small child), dealing with tantrums, attaining and maintaining a satisfying social life, living on one income, working at home, avoiding burnout, and what to do when the kid hits kindergarten age. Some of this stuff men simply need explained to them, and Baylies does that with admirable precision, flavored with amusing examples of traditional can-do male attitude - there's a really good idea about how to recycle your old computer and edutain your child at the same time - and tips only a dad would think of, or publish. (Having fun in the summer months via the "ice cube meltdown in armpit" method comes to mind.) But the book's guy-ness comes through most strongly in the "Spotlight on Dad" profiles that finish each chapter: vignettes, some funny and some poignant, by other SAHDs about their at-home experiences: the frustration of waiting and waiting, a squalling infant in one's arms, for the breast-feeding mom who's stuck on the freeway; the guy who's finally taken the proud step of calling himself "a professional parent." ("And if you call me Mr. Mom, I'll hit you with my diaper bag.")
It would be nice to hear a little more about the less tangible rewards of staying at home: the ease and intimacy of life with one's child, the pleasures of not commuting and of being one's own boss. But not to quibble; with its attention to detail and the appendix of cool resources, Baylies's latest child is for any father-to-be who dreams of becoming a real pro. -- Melanie Lawrence for the FEARLESS REVIEWS
The Stay-at-Home Dad Handbook Feature
- ISBN13: 9781556525346
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Customer Reviews
Great resource for new stay-at-home dads! - SSH - Washington, DC
I ordered this book for my husband who is a new stay-at-home dad. I browsed through the book and was ecstatic about all of the great info. It addresses common issues for stay-at-home dads such as experiencing isolation and feeling a loss of pride. And it provides tips for keeping the house clean (which I LOVE), disciplining children, multi-tasking, etc. There are short stories writeen by actual dads that were surprisingly touching and funny. What I loved most about this book is that it's written by a dad for dads - it's concise, to the point, and changes topics quickly before the reader can get bored. Perfect!
Jun 02, 2010 20:04:08
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