I never expected to be a stay-at-home dad, but here's why it works

I NEVER expected to be a stay-at-home parent. Even after two years, my role still surprises me. Before my son's birth, the idea of becoming his daily caregiver seemed laughable. I had no experience caring for small children, much less an infant. No one had ever asked me to babysit their kids, except one time when my sister was in a bind. In that case, I could hear the desperation in her voice as she asked me to watch my three-year-old nephew.

The thought of staying at home with my son first crossed my mind after my wife and I concluded that I needed to resign from my job for the sake of my sanity. After her maternity leave ended and she returned to full-time work, I agreed to care for my four-month-old son while I was unemployed.

It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. Leaving work to become his primary caregiver felt like a death blow to my male ego. I consider myself an open-minded person, but my progressive views were no match for the residue of a tradition that expects men to work outside the home.