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first day as sahd

cowabungachris
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Posts: 12
 Joined: 2008-03-11
 Dad Points: 41

not sure if you guys will remember me. i posted a while back about considering to be a sahd. well, i did it. yesterday was my last day in the corporate rat race, and today is my first official day as a sahd. my first thought when i woke up this morning was, "god, what have i committed myself into?" along with a slight feeling of panic. i know that this is the best thing for our my wife, myself, and my 1yr old daughter, but it's hard getting used to the idea. my wife makes a great income as a PA, so money really wasn't the issue. we wanted a better family life. with dual careers, we hardly ever got to do things even on the weekends. yeah, i know i made the right decision, but i know i have so much to learn. i've gotten some books through amazon, and i've been browsing this site for weeks reading most of the posts. i can tell that this site will be a major support for me, and i am looking forward to becoming involved.

one question though, i am in elizabeth city nc, near the coast. are there any other sahd in this area that visit this site? any playgroups, etc? any info would be great.

peace, out.

chris

‹ Points? New Old New dad ›

Submitted by cowabungachris on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 1:33pm.

BackpackingDad
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Posts: 221
 Joined: 2007-10-21
 Dad Points: 253
I think there are a bunch of NC dads

And don't limit yourself to dad playgroups. Mix it up with the park moms. They're actually very cool.

And yes (JPhilip), don't go kissing them no matter how (Randy) pretty you are or how (Chef) great you look in lingerie.

Figure if I do it to myself first it won't hurt as much :}

http://backpackingdad.blogspot.com


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 1:43pm

JPhillip
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Posts: 643
 Joined: 2006-11-17
 Dad Points: 917
No, really...

I think park moms are great. Just stay clear of the grandmas: They are vicious.


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 2:16pm

AtHomeDaddy
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Posts: 42
 Joined: 2006-11-06
 Dad Points: 57
Have you had to call the

Have you had to call the wife and tell her that the baby rolled off of a TALL Queen sized bed onto the concrete floor yet? Yep, I did on my first day!

If not, then everything sounds like it off to a good start.

Welcome to the gang.


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 2:34pm

JimD
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 Joined: 2006-11-07
 Dad Points: 271
Hope you survived

Hope you survived day 1! Each day gets a little easier.
Jim


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 6:30pm

JonMcP
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Posts: 261
 Joined: 2007-01-03
 Dad Points: 416
I wish...

I wish I lived out near you in Elizabeth City. Every day is a beach over there!! Between that and you no longer having to work you've really got it made. How'd you work that scam out with the wife? Just kidding obviously ;-)

I'm stuck in Charlotte. I think Greg (Durham) is probably the closest guy to you that's on this site. I recommend checking out any local libraries and meetup.com for any local mom groups. There may be a surprise dad in the mix somewhere. Or you could be the surprise dad in the local mom's groups (kinda like I was before I started meeting up with some other guys).

Anyway, best of luck. I too quit a corporate job and I had some issues when I first started this role as an AHD, so don't be ashamed or feel bad if you have a more difficult adjustment than what you initially thought. Hope you don't have too hard of a time adjusting- it's totally worth it and I would hate to think I have to go back to the corporate world now that I'm entrenched in this dad thing.

Oh yeah- check out the NC Dad's Summit group here on this website.


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 7:21pm

mbieweng
Posts: 321
 Joined: 2006-10-31
 Dad Points: 991
Quote:Have you had to call

Quote:
Have you had to call the wife and tell her that the baby rolled off of a TALL Queen sized bed onto the concrete floor yet?

...you didn't *have* to call her.. :-)


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 7:42pm

mbieweng
Posts: 321
 Joined: 2006-10-31
 Dad Points: 991
Quote:I think park moms are

Quote:
I think park moms are great. Just stay clear of the grandmas: They are vicious.

No way. The grandmas are way better than the moms. The other various "babysitting relatives" at parks are also usually friendly.

Really, it's about 10% of the moms ("park moms" or otherwise) that are cool. The rest are pretty lame. Don't take it personally.


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 7:47pm

AMR
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Posts: 79
 Joined: 2007-11-06
 Dad Points: 98
Just sent you a private message . . .

but want to publicly welcome you to the world of stay-at-home dad-dome, North Carolina style!


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 7:49pm

trophyhusband
Posts: 162
 Joined: 2006-11-27
 Dad Points: 310
Welcome, Chris

Welcome, Chris...and congrats on your decision and follow through. Keep us posted on how it's going, and be sure to leverage the immense collective knowledge of the guys here...well, maybe not *all* of them.... :-)

Your inclination to find other at-home Dad's is a good one...pursue that! But, as mentioned, don't discount the other parent and parent figures you'll be spending time with.

- Andy

____________________________________

13th Annual At-Home Dads' Convention: www.athomedadconvention.com


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 8:03pm

randyfielding
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Posts: 306
 Joined: 2007-02-05
 Dad Points: 343
Way to go, Chris!

You will be posting questions rapid-fire here before you can say "baba booboo doodoo"! ;-)

Although things will get easier for a while after you get into the groove, don't get too comfortable. Before you know it, you won't be able to keep up with the changes occurring!

Good luck!

Randy
Cincinnati, OH
SAHD to Ryder (2 yrs)

Great spirits have always experienced violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 9:10pm

AtHomeDaddy
AtHomeDaddy's picture
Posts: 42
 Joined: 2006-11-06
 Dad Points: 57
After discussing it with the

Quote:
...you didn't *have* to call her.. :-)

After discussing it with the wife, when it happened almost 6 yrs ago, SHE called the house almost immediately after the fall. So I blamed it on her for distracting me from my dad duties!


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 9:27pm

CiaAlum92
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Posts: 454
 Joined: 2007-12-19
 Dad Points: 1224
welcome to the brotherhood

Glad you can join us.. Pull up a changeing table and stay a while......
Chef Kev
Please stop biting Daddy's buttocks !!!!!
JPhillip said it, therefor it is, Chef= C=Caring, H=Helpful, E=Excellent, F=Fubar


Thu, 05/01/2008 - 9:44pm

Mr. Dad
Mr. Dad's picture
Posts: 61
 Joined: 2008-03-07
 Dad Points: 81
You won't regret it

Once you get a routine, and get more used to the idea of staying home, you will then fully enjoy your new task as an AHD. The "panic" will pass. This site really helps too.

My wife and I made the same decision last summer, and we have never regretted it for a minute. You have so much more time together as a family, and as a couple.

Good luck!


Fri, 05/02/2008 - 10:58am

dkremers_1965
dkremers_1965's picture
Posts: 227
 Joined: 2007-09-28
 Dad Points: 419
WooHoo! Ours is Gone!

Chef...we FINALLY have all 3 kids in underwear. After 10 year of changing diapers on the old changing table...we find ourselves not needing it anymore. It has officially been retired (I say for good...she's not so sure :( ). Can I still stay and chat even though I don't have a changing table to lean on anymore? And Chris, welcome to the group. Enjoy your time here!

Check out my ramblings on life at http://www.sahdguy.blogspot.com/


Fri, 05/02/2008 - 2:51pm

jimpmc
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Posts: 93
 Joined: 2008-02-26
 Dad Points: 138
welcome and

Good luck.


Fri, 05/02/2008 - 4:12pm

CiaAlum92
CiaAlum92's picture
Posts: 454
 Joined: 2007-12-19
 Dad Points: 1224
grats my man...

I hope you are going to recycle it?
Chef Kev
Please stop biting Daddy's buttocks !!!!!
JPhillip said it, therefor it is, Chef= C=Caring, H=Helpful, E=Excellent, F=Fubar


Fri, 05/02/2008 - 7:32pm

Gaming with Baby
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Posts: 364
 Joined: 2007-08-15
 Dad Points: 515
You're knee deep in it now

Enjoy the ride.

-Will
gamingwithbaby.com | all your diapers are belong to us
my flickr


Fri, 05/02/2008 - 8:34pm

Hogan
Posts: 7
 Joined: 2008-04-21
 Dad Points: 7
Welcome Greenhorn!

Enjoy the journey, especially the early years. It goes by fast. All three of my boys are teenagers - 20, 18 and 14. And that has been a whole different kind of parenting adventure. But still as rewarding as the early years.

Good luck in finding other at-home dads in NC.

Keep On Daddying


Sun, 05/04/2008 - 9:48pm

Man or Beast
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Posts: 5
 Joined: 2008-04-14
 Dad Points: 13
Brave New World

Good luck, brother! It's a tough, but fun job.

I live out in Winston-Salem, and looking for some sort of local dad's group. Good luck finding one around your neck of the woods!


Mon, 05/05/2008 - 12:32pm

Kirk
Kirk's picture
Posts: 19
 Joined: 2007-09-12
 Dad Points: 25
Welcome

It's great being a SAHD. Enjoy it while you can!

**************************
My wife asked me if I had signed up for the 401k yet. I told her I hadn't. She asked me why and I told her I couldn't run that far.


Tue, 05/06/2008 - 9:19am

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