Stay at home Dad - Part 1

After she visited the midwife today for the unpleasantly named 'stretch and sweep', in just a few days my lovely wife will go through the most heroic of experiences for the third time. Once 'baby pedro' (as he's been called since we found out 20 weeks ago that 'it' was a 'he') is born I've decided to give my wife and he a 'week off.' With two busy, energetic and enthusiastic children already in our home I wanted her and the little baby to have several days to get to know each other, get into feeding, 'bond' and have a proper rest.

Which means I've spent most of today thinking about the fact that for the first time in a very, very long while I'll have 7 consecutive days of getting our almost 4 year old and almost 2 year up out of bed, dressed, fed, and then entertained for the entire day. I'm approaching it with a little trepidation - I don't want it to be a week of battles and power plays (makes it sound like a military face off, not a week with my children). I'm also really excited to actually have so much time with them... and most of all being able to increase my appreciation of what it's like to be a stay at home parent. Being a 'work at home dad' means I overhear the conversations and frustrations of guiding, responding to and disciplining two little ones.

I'm not the absent parent I was before I left the busy work of marketing analysis agency work and answering to clients at any time of day. Now that I work from an office at home managing and co-ordinating Wilkinet baby carrier it also means I can pop downstairs for half an hour at lunch, always be home on time, never get caught in the evening commute, do their bedtime routine and on occasions let my wife get out on her own while I mind the kids.

But... it's very different to having the patience needed for a full day of it. I usually have my children 'in small doses' - whereas now I'll get about 12 hours a day. It's going to be a learning experience - and I'm looking forward to it. I hope the little ones are too.