DAD CAN BAKE

Being a home Dad can be fun. Since arriving in the UK i have been doing the cooking for the family. After a year I have not harmed or caused any long lasting injuries on my family. Last week I attempted to bake some cakes and biscuits, and what to do you know besides for one batch that was slightly over cooked and rather on the brown to black side, they lasted all but 4 days. So we will attempt again and maybe I will be a bit more adventurous.

The School Run

07h30 " Boys get a move on, have you had breakfast? Have you pack you lunch? Have you remembered your homework? have you, have you, have......" Does this sound familiar I must sound like a stuck record, or should I say a scratched CD. Its 08h50 get them in the car oh! Crap need to De-ice the car, OK now lets go. "Dad, Yes Liam I forgot my book, OK stop the car turn around and get the book, OK now we go. "Dad, Yes Aidan I forgot my lunch. OK stop the car turn around and get the lunch. OK lets try once more. By this time I think my internal temperature gauge is hitting explosion point. Boys one more Dad and there is going to be a nuclear fall out from the explosion that is about to erupt. There is silence, followed by a very faint Dad, I left my Glasses @ home.

I think maybe woman must have a built in on/off switch, or is just stored up until hubby comes home. Blokes there you are happy as sunshine, you walk in the door and gets it both barrels because you left your towel on the floor. So for the rest of your life you make sure you pick up the towel. Sorry to say guys there will always be something that we forget to do. Now the role is reversed the House Hubby gets to shoot both barrels. Yeah right I tried that and got shot down with a machine gun.

It's 08h40 back home Sanity is restored.

The balance has moved

The balance has moved
I don’t know about how many of the men of the modern western world were raised. Did some of you grow up the definition of a man being, the man was head of the house, and he brought home the bacon and disciplined the children. He had to be strong, never show weakness, never cry and suck it up and move on. The woman tended hand and foot to their husbands, they made sure the husband clothes were laid out when he came out of the bathroom in the morning and that breakfast was on the table. When he came home super was cooked and us kids ready for bed. This sounds like an old black and white movie from the 1940’s yet I grew up in the 70’s

We move to current day and a whole lot has changed we have plasma Televisions and DVD recorders. But what has happened to Man and I am not talking about Mankind, I mean the masculine man. The man that came home, and said honey I am home and what’s for dinner? I think if I had to come home and said that I would have kissed the inside of a frying pan. In today’s modern times both partners work and bring home the bacon. So now what? The balance has been upset.

How does modern man cope with this new world, the world that we have not been prepared for? We have been brought up to believe we the men are the leaders, to be strong and women are weak.

This is the way it was but no longer, I do think half of all marriages fail because of the way us men have been indoctrinated with the way we men should be. I have started on a new chapter of my life trying to get the balance back. But the not the balance of old but a new balance, a balance that will work and hopefully see my children being able to deal with anything that comes thier way. I hope that those who read these post will come back as I can asure you there are going to be some posts that will have you in fits of laughter. I am going to post my daily dairy on this blog. How does one move from a career to being a Daddy Day Care

STAY @HOME DADS IN THE UK

If you're thinking of being a stay-at-home dad you may be pleased to know that you are part of a growing number of men taking on full-time responsibility for childcare. Although there are no official government statistics on this, it's been estimated that there are currently 155,000* men in the UK who are stay-at-home fathers and thousands more who'd like the opportunity to do the same.

Whether you're a stay-at-home mum or dad, the decision to move from work to home can be a journey fraught with difficulties. But there are some issues specific to stay-at-home dads that we've outlined here.

Home Alone
Despite being part of a growing trend, you ought to be aware that, as a man, you'll be in the minority group as far as stay-at-home parenting is concerned. Be prepared to be the only man in the playground, baby massage class or coffee morning. This, in turn, may make forming a network of friendly parents (a lifeline for any stay-at-home parent or Dad) that bit more difficult. It's a fact that you'll probably have to work twice as hard as a woman to get accepted into groups – but it's well worth making the effort. Other parents will be the support network that makes or breaks you as a parent.

Same Boat
To make it easy on yourself, it's a good thing to remember that everyone's in the same boat as far as the parenting game is concerned. If you're attending a baby group everyone there is probably new to parenting and desperate to find a friend to share the experience with. Knowing that you're all in the same boat may make you feel less self-conscious about going up to a group of mums and introducing yourself.

Man To Man
Although other mums are a key ally, it's equally important for you to be able to share your parenting concerns and issues with other men. There are loads of organisations targeted at the stay-at-home dad. Key sites to check out include www.homedad.org.uk and www.fathersdirect.com. Ask around to see if there are father groups in your area and, if there aren't, be brave and start one up!

House Husband?
You may be quite unconcerned with how others view your decision to stay at home, but it's certainly worth quizzing yourself over how you'll feel when you give up work to be a stay-at-home parent. If you currently earn the same or more as your partner, how will you feel to become reliant on their income? Make sure you and your partner have discussed - and agreed - how decisions relating to finance and childcare will be made in the future.

Time Travel
The main thing is to enjoy the time you have with your children. It goes so quickly!

@ The Beginning.

Let me start @ the beginning. @ The end of 2007 my Wife was offered a role by a company in London. Given the situation in South Africa we decided that we would relocate and packed the cases and the kids and jetted out 8 weeks later. It was planned that she would work and I would get the kids settled and then go and get back to fighting those financial Tigers. That was the plan, then the banking bubble burst, well I shouldn’t say it burst, it shook, it wobbled and then there was a Cataclysmic explosion. It’s been 10 months since we arrived in the United Kingdom and after numerous Interviews and those dreaded sorry but we will not be pursuing your application further emails. I am now hunting dust balls with a hoovermatic and splitting the darks from the whites.

. What happened to the man I was brought up to be. You must wear the pants in the house my Dad once told me, it’s your duty to put food on you families take and a roof over their heads. My manhood striped and feeling rather sorry for myself I have hit rock bottom, I have not fulfilled my Destiny as a man. But hang on a minute why does a man have to work in the corporate world why can’t he also be a home executive and why is it Moms Taxi why not Dads Taxi. Easier said than done how do you change firstly you own mind set and then the mind set of those other men out there. Just imagine going to the pub and you get asked so what do you do, and you say a househusband.

I am really struggling with this concept. So what do we do?