Well...I'd have clicked on the first three buttons, but the first reason was that we didn't want daycare for our child. Out of that came the next two, my wife makes a higher wage, and I am better (i.e. more creative and patient) with the kids. I could've clicked "other" as well as I was at my wits end working with the Evil Empire client Philip Morris and it was a perfect time to quit my job to persue the current and best job I've ever and will ever have!
Yeah, I need to rework the voting so that it will accept multiple responses. I may do that and then re-run a similar poll. I suppose we can try this one for now and see what the top reason is...
I don't know if weighted list is the proper term, but we would select 3-1-2-5
And I wouldn't say that I'm necessarily better with my kids than my wife, but I'm better at making sure that there is food in the pantry, the dishes are clean and the bills are paid.
Yes, I am going to redo this poll when we can do multiple choice polls. If I'm adding more choices, we could be even more specific. For example, what does "better fit" actually mean? More patient? Kids like me better? Less of an interest in traditional career? Something else?
I also would have clicked the top three if I could have. The main reason was because we didn't want to have our children in daycare, not because we are too good for that or anything, because it made financial sense for one of us to be the primary caregiver of our children.
I then am far more patient with children than my wife, that doesn't mean she isn't a great mom, but I am better with children.
She made more money than I did at the time.
My wife had a better job - and definitely we both agreed on NO DAYCARE. We could have lived on what either of us were making, but also I was in a better career position than she to take time off. I'm older and more established; and, what's more, I had more parenting experience (3 older kids).
The longer I've been the at home parent, the more I have grown to appreciate the importance of it. FOR ME! I've grown more than I could ever have imagined. Hopefully, so have the kids!
I don't think any of us are at home with the kids for just any one reason listed in the poll. It's a combination of factors. I think the first choice is offensive as well. No one should imply that they are a better parent than their partner, that's a road to deeper relationship problems.
Economics, stability for our children, and the health of our child were all contributing factors in our decision for me to stay home.
I was a High School teacher when my wife and I got married. I had a great job and it looked long term. But then came the inevitable Army move, and off to Missouri we went (from GA). Once we got there, the local high school had already hired all its teachers for the year. So I was left without a job. Not long after the move, we got pregnant with our first. That's when we decided that, first, a teacher's salary couldn't compete with an Army Officer's salary, and second, NO DAY CARE. So it was a no brainer. Here I am, 7 years later, raising not one but 4 children. No regrets.
We had just dropped $30K for the wife to get her Master's degree. I had hit the peak of my job possibilities with my employer and I hated one of my co-workers. So I left a dead end job and a dead beat co worker to stay home. At the time I was making about 40-50% of our income.
We also worked different shifts and never saw each other. She left for work at 6 AM and went to bed at 9PM. I left for work at Noon and got home about 11PM. No way that schedule would have worked for us with kids around.
It has taken almost 6 years, but the wife's income has eclipsed what we were making together back then, since we have been able to keep her working as many hours as it takes to move up. Another thing we could not have done with kids and if I were not staying home.
#3: I was put in a day care when I was a wee tot and can still remember the neglect and pain I felt when I was separated from my little brother (because of our 2 yr age difference). I found him in a crib, not being watched at all, and was screaming his head off (soiled diaper, hungry, thirsty, lonely, etc.) and could do absolutely NOTHING to 'save' him. Then had to endure being bullied by the 'regular' kids the rest of the time, while trying to keep my brother out of harm's way.
#2: She makes as much in two hours as I used to in a full 8 hour day ... no-brainer on this one.
#1: She admittedly has absolutely no patience for anything or anybody that may be considered 'needy'. She has a heart of gold, but her patience runs very thin. Also, as a few of the rest have noted, she also lacks in the creativity/play department.
#4: Since I never had a dad of my own, I vowed that I was going to be the best dad I could possibly be...and so far, I am pleased to say, it's working out very well for our family.
The primary reason is...
Well...I'd have clicked on the first three buttons, but the first reason was that we didn't want daycare for our child. Out of that came the next two, my wife makes a higher wage, and I am better (i.e. more creative and patient) with the kids. I could've clicked "other" as well as I was at my wits end working with the Evil Empire client Philip Morris and it was a perfect time to quit my job to persue the current and best job I've ever and will ever have!
-Brian C
Definitely
Yeah, I need to rework the voting so that it will accept multiple responses. I may do that and then re-run a similar poll. I suppose we can try this one for now and see what the top reason is...
make it a weighted list
I don't know if weighted list is the proper term, but we would select 3-1-2-5
And I wouldn't say that I'm necessarily better with my kids than my wife, but I'm better at making sure that there is food in the pantry, the dishes are clean and the bills are paid.
I'd have also voted for more than one
I'd have also voted for more than one...for us it was really a combo of #2, #3, #1, in roughly that order
- Andy
I think more choices could
I think more choices could have been offered. "Better fit to be an at-home parent" is one.
more choices
Yes, I am going to redo this poll when we can do multiple choice polls. If I'm adding more choices, we could be even more specific. For example, what does "better fit" actually mean? More patient? Kids like me better? Less of an interest in traditional career? Something else?
re: more choices
Try just "better fit" as an option and find out what comments come up.
Three clicks
I also would have clicked the top three if I could have. The main reason was because we didn't want to have our children in daycare, not because we are too good for that or anything, because it made financial sense for one of us to be the primary caregiver of our children.
I then am far more patient with children than my wife, that doesn't mean she isn't a great mom, but I am better with children.
She made more money than I did at the time.
Main reason is I retired
Secondary reason is my wife still works and day-care has never been an option for us, if we could avoid it, and we could, so we did.
well for me I would have to
well for me I would have to say #2, #3, and then #1
~Daniel~
In Maine
Keeper of Erin & Adam and my wife keeps me.
The honey do list never ends!!!
More clicks
2 & 3
http://backpackingdad.blogspot.com
Primary Reason its me and not mom
My wife had a better job - and definitely we both agreed on NO DAYCARE. We could have lived on what either of us were making, but also I was in a better career position than she to take time off. I'm older and more established; and, what's more, I had more parenting experience (3 older kids).
The longer I've been the at home parent, the more I have grown to appreciate the importance of it. FOR ME! I've grown more than I could ever have imagined. Hopefully, so have the kids!
The choices are too definate
I don't think any of us are at home with the kids for just any one reason listed in the poll. It's a combination of factors. I think the first choice is offensive as well. No one should imply that they are a better parent than their partner, that's a road to deeper relationship problems.
Economics, stability for our children, and the health of our child were all contributing factors in our decision for me to stay home.
-Will
gamingwithbaby.com | all your diapers are belong to us
my flickr
Go Army...beat careers!
I was a High School teacher when my wife and I got married. I had a great job and it looked long term. But then came the inevitable Army move, and off to Missouri we went (from GA). Once we got there, the local high school had already hired all its teachers for the year. So I was left without a job. Not long after the move, we got pregnant with our first. That's when we decided that, first, a teacher's salary couldn't compete with an Army Officer's salary, and second, NO DAY CARE. So it was a no brainer. Here I am, 7 years later, raising not one but 4 children. No regrets.
Lots of reasons
We had just dropped $30K for the wife to get her Master's degree. I had hit the peak of my job possibilities with my employer and I hated one of my co-workers. So I left a dead end job and a dead beat co worker to stay home. At the time I was making about 40-50% of our income.
We also worked different shifts and never saw each other. She left for work at 6 AM and went to bed at 9PM. I left for work at Noon and got home about 11PM. No way that schedule would have worked for us with kids around.
It has taken almost 6 years, but the wife's income has eclipsed what we were making together back then, since we have been able to keep her working as many hours as it takes to move up. Another thing we could not have done with kids and if I were not staying home.
Mike S
Austin TX
Just about all the reasons
She makes more money then I do. Day Care for the most part SUCKS.. and I do feel like have been a better care giver for our 2 children so far.
Eggplant recipes
I stayed home because I needed a good eggplant recipe. Hopefully I will find one here soon.
in order w/explanations...
#3: I was put in a day care when I was a wee tot and can still remember the neglect and pain I felt when I was separated from my little brother (because of our 2 yr age difference). I found him in a crib, not being watched at all, and was screaming his head off (soiled diaper, hungry, thirsty, lonely, etc.) and could do absolutely NOTHING to 'save' him. Then had to endure being bullied by the 'regular' kids the rest of the time, while trying to keep my brother out of harm's way.
#2: She makes as much in two hours as I used to in a full 8 hour day ... no-brainer on this one.
#1: She admittedly has absolutely no patience for anything or anybody that may be considered 'needy'. She has a heart of gold, but her patience runs very thin. Also, as a few of the rest have noted, she also lacks in the creativity/play department.
#4: Since I never had a dad of my own, I vowed that I was going to be the best dad I could possibly be...and so far, I am pleased to say, it's working out very well for our family.