Any other stay at home Dads?

I'm recently become a stay at home dad but it's temporary.

Lost the job in June (division was closed as a cost savings for the corporation's stock-holders). My little girl was born in July. It was nice though to be able to help the wife out while she recovered from the birth and then fix things up some things around the house that I had been putting off. Until the savings account dries up, I'm enjoying it.

I'm hoping to have a job late September though. Going to 2nd interview soon for a job I REALLY want.

BTW, I'm an engineer (mechanical) with a few years of experience in new product & process development for medical devices. If anyone here works for a medical or pharma company and hears about an engineer opening, let me know.

 

My position was terminated back in March after 23 years. I was a scientist for a major pharmaceutical company. I have to say that not having a job is pretty hard to swallow. What is fun is taking my 5 year old little girl to kindergarten everyday! My little boy goes for the ride too. He's only 2 and a half and thinks his sister is the best thing on the planet (next to Mom!). Then we go to the park and ride the swings. After that it's back home to hit some baseballs off the tee and get some work done on the house. Might have to sell it you know. Anyway I've got the best wife a man could ask for and we are takin' it all in stride. Spend lots of time looking for work and sending out resumes. Something is bound to turn up. Now I have a nice new Taco and hope it lasts a long time cause I don't know when I'll be able to afford something new again. Peace

 

Best of luck to you brother!!! Sounds like you're a man with a plan though so you'll be fine. I'm sure the Taco will take good care of you .

 

It's all good, got to go with the flow. I wouldn't trade my time with my kids for anything. Watching them grow is a blast! My son just got his 1st hair cut today sitting in my lap. Priceless. You know I've had a lot of those since I've been home. I'm lucky!

 

This is definitely an experience I would not trade for the world.

 

Same boat here. Hand me an oar we'll row together. I believe everything happens for a reason. My first job was with a Software Company and after 15years working 12hr days and most weekends, I was burnt out and then was layed off. Luckily I hit the first round, I had heard second and 3rd round layoffs did not get a severance package. I received 2week pay for each year. pretty nice and it didn't count against my unemployement. Took a full year off on vacation. Went back to work this time as a Computer Planner for HP R&D research team. Great job, I absolutely love it. Its now been 10years.....guess what. I just got layed off 2weeks ago.
I can of relate it to a childs swing. You get in swing really high until you get tired and fall off. You get a little banged up and dirty but you dust yourself off, pick out a different swing. This time you swing higher than before, its so much fun but it doesn't seem to last as long because you tire easiler and then fall out again. So, now I'm going to dust myself off, put on a few bandaids and walk over to a whole new playground and see what kind of stuff they have. I can't wait to try something else out new again, meet new friends, have a lot of fun and oh yeah, bring home some money to had over to the wife. I have a good positive attitude that seems to rub off on to others. I always remain confident at what I do and carry a Can Do attitude around with me. I think about what I'm doing and how I could do it better next time. I'm a team player that likes to help others feel they contribute to the project success just as much as everyone else. Hmmmmm, I seem to be rambling on just a little toooo much.

Anyways, stay positive and confident, carry a can~do attitude and the next thing you will see is a nice paycheck. Positive things happen to positive people.

 

Thanks for sharing. I also work in a tech related field and been at it for around 8 years so far. Before that I worked as a salesperson at a contractor supply company for 5. Like yourself, I spent years working 12-14 hour days. You get paid great money in a lot of tech jobs but you also pay for it in sweat. Additionally since it costs so much to both rent and buy anywhere near Silicon Valley, we rent way out in the East Bay so for years I've had a 50 mile each way drive. I've put 100's of thousands of miles on our vehicles ( which is why I own Toyotas)

I've actually had a number of interviews and have one tomorrow. But the thing is that the more interviews I go to the more I realize that maybe I don't want to do what I was doing for a living anymore. We've been talking about moving out of the state for years. Most of my family is back in TN and with what we've saved up over the years we could just go buy a house in that region and just have regular jobs. I've thought about starting my own business or helping my Dad with his own new business that's doing pretty well now. Neither would make us rich. But I'm ok with that. All I know is that I believe I've had about enough of the rat race out here. For others it seems like they thrive on that kind of career. I'm not wired that way.

The bottom line is that I've been laid off for almost 6 weeks. These are extraordinary times for our industry and I'm not sure if its going to be coming back anytime soon. It has been good to me and it has enabled me to save up enough to have other options. But I think that like yourself I might be considering another means to make a living. We'll see. I have 3 more interviews lined up over the next 2 weeks. If they work out, I'll take the job and put my nose back to the grindstone. If not... might be time for plan B.

 

I'm a shift worker and we only work two "day" shifts a week.......For the last ten years I've been able to be home with my kids everyday except those.My son went to kindergarten last year so all three are now in school........"Freedom 5" the guys at work say,but it is an opportunity that most guys have loved,to be able to be home during those important early years.

Having said that,there have been times where I wanted to pull my hair out!.....I remember one day where all 4 of us were in tears and wished Mommy was home.

 

High Tech was fun, made some good money but looking back I wouldn't have done again. I missed out on my first 2 kids growing up years. After I realized that, I "made" time for the youngest son and was a Little League Mngr and Coach for many years. Best years of our lives. I've realized now that life really isn't about how much money I can make but figuring our a nice work/life balance. Now that my youngest son is going to College, I have time to make him lunch and we talk about his projects. I've been teaching him to work on his own car, a nice Mazda RX-8 that I bought him. And I also spend more time with my daughter, son and wife. Our family life and others around us have become so much more closer and my working 12hr days are done. So.....for my next job, it'll be something that I really enjoy doing but not something on that little hamster treadmill.

Maybe I'll buy some land on top of a mountain and open up a Tacoma Hotel and Restaurant with a sign at the entrance that says "It's not only the Destination but the Journey along the way."

 

Kids will drive you crazy and SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF YOU!!!

You gotta love them.

 

I am, I wouldn't trade the last three years with my little girl for anything.
the house has never been cleaner and foods never tasted better.
subd

 

Retired, Stay at home dad for 12 and 15 year old boys.......Great Job.

 

Damn ...... Just noticed this is a three year old thread. lol

 

I work on the Mississippi river as a tug capt, my schedule is great. Im week on week off. The weeks that Im home I have custody of my 2 yr old girl, I live for the days I get to be with her. It broke my heart putting her in daycare, but I only send her In the morn, so i can clean and run errins. Then I get her at lunch and its play time with daddy, she loves that. And the other great thing is, she and i go on road trips about every 6 weeks or so. It's nice to be able to spend that time with her. I wouldnt trade it for the world.

I know im very fortunate with my career, and the time I have with her. I thank God every chance i get. I'm not rushing, but I can't wait to have a lil boy so I can do the same with him.

 

Remember it's all about the legacy you leave your children and you can't put a price on the fond memories they will have with you at home.