- Getting breakfast prepared and packing kids lunch boxes is so much easier with dad pitching in (Note to self to keep this going even after dad starts work again)
- Flexibility to cater to kids schedules is a breeze. Meg has to leave early to school for battle of the books or morning with the camera – no more lengthy negotiations on whose turn it is this time around. Appa is on call.
- Raul is sick and calls from school asking for the nebulizer – no problem. Appa is on call to act upon request right away. If needed, he can even be picked up and kept at home.
- Zoey gets to stay out of the kennel and enjoy sprawling on the floor thanks to Appa being home to ensure she stays out of trouble.
- Orthodontic appointments, annual eye exams for the kids – Appa on call to chauffer to said locations at specified times.
- Phone calls to be made, errands to run to the post office, bank, grocery does not take planning and coordination – all it takes is a quick afternoon break/trip for dad in-between siestas in front of the idiot box.
- Car needs to be cleaned, oil changed, gas filled – worry not. It does not have to wait till the weekend. Dad is on call to get it all taken care & as an added bonus is happy to take care of it.
- An occassional lovely call in the middle of the day to mom at work to check how her day is going.
- Mom does not have to compete with the TV & kids for time with dad. The 1-on-1 time with the TV is taken care of long before mom and the kids get back home from work/school.
- Cooking for dinner – relaxing, given that mom does not have to deal with tempers and outbursts courtesy of hunger & exhaustion gone overboard.
- It is dad calling mom instead of vice versa, to find out where she is and when she will be back home from work.
Have to say it is a lot of fun. Life is a lot more smooth sailing (anti jinx please) thanks to having a dad, who has the energy & enthusiasm to hang around the rest of the family and enjoy an evening together in the absence of work pressures and long evenings at work. Now if only we could figure out a way to keep one of the parents at home and happy long-term, without impacting the finances, life would be good:)
The rest of the month will be much relished prior to dad’s return to work following his much deserved sabbatical break.
[...] eliminated/discarded to save a few precious pennies during these difficult times. So the current SAHD offers me what I have been wanting for on a platter. You guessed right. He offered to take over [...]