Think tech jobs are booming? Visit a playground on a weekday afternoon and observe the newest wave of the American workforce: the stay-at-home dad. He's got flexible hours, the freedom to explore his own interests, a pretty relad dress code, and a sweet home office. If you can stomach the sleep deprivation and mild feeling of emasculation, what's not to like?
I never thought of myself as the type of guy who would be at a playground in the middle of a workday, but there I was, just the moms and their strollers and me: a stay-at-home dad.
When I quit my job a few years ago, I had a precious little template for how to conduct myself as a full-time father—and precious little company. But then our ranks began to swell. First, one lone dad showed up with his son on a school day. Then another.
Then they started talking together, comparing their strollers, high-fiving by the swing sets.
According to the 2010 census, the number of self-described stay-at-home fathers in the United States has more than doubled in the past ten years. (And that number doesn’t even account for guys like me, men who play the role of primary caregiver while also working at least part-time.) There are major network sitcoms about us.
report from the front lines - I was still figuring it out...
Until recently Stay-at-Home Dads (SAHDs) have remained in the shadows, but now they’re coming out, loud and proud. The decision to stay home with the kids isn’t seen as a failure of their responsibilities but as a lifestyle choice that makes sense in an era when 40 percent of wives out-earn their husbands and men are beginning to embrace a more fluid interpretation of success that places a premium on fulfillment, not money and status...
There are 300 million people in the U.S., so there are 150 million ways to be a man. Jeremy Adam Smith, a former Stay-at-Home Dads (SAHDs) and the author of The Daddy Shift, call's guys like me pioneers who are quietly mapping new territory for all fathers. Sitting on a park bench, watching those other Stay-at-Home Dads (SAHDs) trade gossip like middle managers around a water-cooler, I sure didn’t feel like a pioneer. I sat apart, alone with my conflicted feelings.
After the economy tanked. The Great Recession created thousands of Stay-at-Home Dads (SAHDs) —men lost two and a half times as many jobs as women—hitting male-dominated industries like construction, manufacturing, and financial services hardest.
Kindling, a quarterly magazine devoted to thoughtful dialogue about dads and all of our creative pursuits.
The 10 Best Jobs for Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads!
So you’ve decided you want to stay at home with the kids! The only question now is how you’re going to keep the little tykes fed and clothed while you’re enjoying your time with them.
The era of a one-income family being enough to provide for Mom, Dad and kids (and save for college) is long over for most people, and most stay-at-home parents find that they need to bring home some extra money.
But what jobs can a parent do from home? It can be difficult to weed through the envelope-stuffing scams and pay-up-front “business” plans to find real jobs that will bring in enough money to be worth their time. To make my list, a job has to be gainful, flexible and consistent.
For example, though telecommuting is technically a “stay-at-home” job, companies generally still expect their telecommuters to be available during regular business hours. The following are the best jobs for stay at home moms (and dads!) available, which allow parents to actually spend time with their kids and generate enough income so they don’t have to take in a boarder:
Freelancer
From writing to translation to research to editing to design, freelancing provides many possibilities for you to use your skill set in a flexible and self-directed way.
Pay varies project-by-project, and the income is not always steady, but freelancing allows the stay-at-home parent the opportunity to keep career skills sharp if returning to the regular workforce is a possibility in the future. Freelancer.com is an excellent resource for getting started in finding work that you can do at home.
Direct Sales Associate
Home-based businesses run by women have evolved at great deal since the days of “Avon calling,” and Tupperware parties (although both of those businesses are still around). Nowadays, you can sell any number of products (that you may already use) in a social setting.
While direct sales does require some upfront cash layout for products, a gifted saleswoman can generate a good income with these programs. An added benefit is the social aspect of these businesses. They can provide a stay-at-home mom with some much-needed adult conversation and socializing. If you are a born networker and can sell, this is a perfect stay-at-home job for you. Don’t know what to sell? Directsalesmoms.com is a great place to start your search for the perfect home business.
In-Home Daycare Provider
You’re already spending your day with your children; why not bring other kids to the party? Running a daycare out of your home is a great way to stay involved in the day-to-day activities of your children while earning money for what you are already doing.
Each state has its own licensing procedure for daycares, so it is very important to know what you need to run one out of your home. Daycareresource.com can help you navigate the logistics of starting your own daycare. If you love children and know you can handle more than just your flesh-and-blood, this job is the ultimate in multitasking.
Virtual Assistant
This is a 21st Century opportunity for a naturally organized stay-at-home worker. A virtual assistant helps a professional take care of any number of tasks that can be done from home, such as handling correspondence, bookkeeping and website design. This is a great job in terms of steady income, as virtual assistants often stay with their clients long term, although sometimes it can be less flexible than other stay-at-home work. Virtualassistants.com is a directory for companies and assistants to find each other.
Fitness Instructor
If staying fit is already important to you, consider becoming a fitness instructor. Whether you own a Jazzercise franchise (i.e. www.jazzercise.com) or just teach a class or two at the local Y, exercise instruction can provide you with a flexible job that also keeps you fit.
All instructors, no matter where or how you teach, must go through certification, so it is important to research the necessary steps to begin your fitness career. But like running a daycare, this is a great opportunity for making money doing something you already love.
Entrepreneur
There are many different at-home businesses that can be launched for very low startup costs and maintained around your family’s schedule. In particular, party planning, creating gift baskets, professional organizing, and baking are all business models that can be easily managed while staying at home with kids.
Teacher
If you have any background in education, you can find a job working as a virtual teacher for anything from K-12 students to college students. Since the work is entirely virtual, you do not have to be in the same part of the country as the school employing you, and you can often plan your virtual classroom schedule around your family’s needs.
Seamstress
Sewing is becoming something of a lost art. If you know your way around a needle and thread, you can capitalize on the fact that most people can’t replace a missing button, let alone sew up a child’s Halloween costume or alter a prom dress. This is another option that costs you nothing to startup, provided you already own a sewing machine, since your customers will provide you with the items to alter or the fabric to create new attire.
Photographer
There has never been a greater need for stock photography, and good amateur photographers can make money from their favorite hobby. While it takes time to build up a large enough portfolio to make serious money from sites like Shutterstock, this is an excellent option for anyone who is already an avid photographer and is willing to make their images public.
Professional eBay Seller
Many people want to declutter their homes, but hate the idea of having to set up their own eBay or Craigslist sales. That’s where you come in. For a commission (commonly 15% to 25%), you will do all of the legwork of selling their items, from posting the sales to mailing the sold items. Successful resellers often leverage their social media contacts to find customers.
The Bottom Line
Making money while staying home may seem like a daunting prospect, but with a little creativity, parents from any type of job background can find something that will keep them happily changing diapers and wiping noses for years.
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