Call for Help from a Reporter
Posted on 25. Jul, 2010 by Brian Reid in Uncategorized
This has *not* been a lazy summer, but I wanted to get back on the blogging horse to see if anyone could help with this request:
Dear Brian,
I’m writing an article for Redbook magazine on couples who made the switch from the mother as primary caregiver with husband as breadwinner to the father becoming a Stay At Home Dad (with the wife as the breadwinner). The switch part is crucial: the wife must have been a stay at home mom prior to the husband assuming the SAHD role. Perhaps they made the switch because one partner lost his or her job during the recession, or perhaps it was a voluntary switch. They’ll each tell their story about how the change-up affected their lives: their marriage, their parenting, their schedule and routine, etc. We’ll hear how they both felt throughout the adjustment to their new roles, and what compromises and negotiations were necessary.The couples’ age range can be late 20s to early 40s (ideally they would be in their 30s).
Do you know of someone who fits the criteria? I’d be grateful for any assistance you might provide.
Thank you,
Denise Dowling
203-675-8339/d2dowling@msn.com
Thanks, guys.
caitlyn
25. Jul, 2010
Hi Brian,
I don’t meet enough of Denise’s criteria, but I thought I give your readers a little taste of my experience.
Once upon a time, long, long ago….
My husband had to take an extended sick leave from work. Ironically, we had moved to a new town almost a year prior - for his work! We were hours from our previous home and we decided to have me stay home settle us all in and be mom.
Now, I was working and he was at home. My salary and his benefits were about the same $$ which meant we were very slightly ahead financially.
It took me 3 months to no longer know how much toilet paper there was in the cupboard, whether or not we were getting low on mayonnaise, and where we were in the laundry cycle. I had been “in charge” of those household chores for so long, I didn’t really believe I could let it go.
Sometime into the year of the switch, I came home from work, as usual, to a clean home, dinner almost ready, the homework done and stacked by the back door, a happy child folding laundry, my husband finishing setting the table. I didn’t know what to do.
I accepted a glass of wine, took off my shoes, and sat down on the couch with the newspaper. The role reversal was complete.
beta dad
26. Jul, 2010
I don’t know if this is close enough to what your friend is looking for, but my wife stayed home with our twins for the first four months while I finished building an addition on our house, and then I took over the child care when she went back to work. We lived on our savings during this time. This was all according to the plan we had hatched once we found out we were having twins.