Know your cartoons: Let’s face it: your child WILL WATCH TV, and that’s fine as long as it’s not too much and the quality is good, and appropriate for your child’s age! Check your local TV listings online and do some research on what shows are recommended for each age group. Watch the shows with your child, at least until you’re sure the show is a good fit. Who knows, you might just learn to love SpongeBob SquarePants!
game groups: children need time with their peers to develop good social skills. Taking them to the local park is a great place for them to meet other children their own age. You could also benefit from meeting other parents. Let’s see if any of them are interested in setting up a playgroup. It really doesn’t have to be much, just an hour or so each week so the kids can get together and play and the parents can exchange tips and tricks on how to deal with toddler problems. Your child will quickly learn to share and have fun in a playgroup setting. They will have friends!
Laundry: Yes, this one is important, but easy. Just remember, one stack for all whites, one for pastels or light mixed colors, one for darks, and if you have anything red, wash it separately. Never, EVER put anything made of wool or cashmere in the washing machine! Basically, if you follow the washing instructions on the garment label, you can’t go wrong and you should pick up this skill pretty quickly.
Discipline: Children learn better from their “mistakes” if there is immediate feedback. When your child misbehaves, provide appropriate punishment right away if possible. If you wait, your child will have forgotten what he did wrong in the first place and resentment will grow. A two-year-old won’t understand “Just wait until we get home.” For him or her, that can mean special treatment and when you get home and punish them, they won’t know what’s going on, I promise!
Love: Don’t be afraid to show your children that you love them. Hugs and kisses are what young children understand and know as love. They don’t know or care about the sacrifices you and your wife are making to make you a stay-at-home dad. (and they shouldn’t) Let your children see your love for them and grow up because of it.
Idiom: Women are traditionally more verbal than men. It is partly because of this that children learn their language skills so well. The more mom talks to her children during the day, the better the children will learn to speak. Dads: learn to talk to your children. Don’t always speak at their level, because then they aren’t learning new words and skills. While I’m not saying talk like the encyclopedia, I’m saying talk to them on a level they can understand, but at the same time on a level that constantly challenges them to improve their language skills. A great way to help develop a child’s language skills is to read to him every day.
Finance: Finances can be quite tight for families with stay-at-home dads (or moms). You may want to consider earning some extra money through an online business. Internet marketing is a great way to earn extra income while the kids are napping or later at night when they are sleeping. Having even a little more each month could be how you can continue to be a stay-at-home dad indefinitely.