Off to Work We Go?

Two Dads Sound Off

By Donna Smith

Flinn feels parents need to be more available to their kids. "Now I look at the news and see the same things going on in families all around the world, much of it due to lack of proper parental presence in the home," he says. "It caused me to really think about my family. You see, I used to work full time, plus overtime. Sometime I would go to work before my son got up and come home after he went to bed. It bothered me when I would notice how close my wife and son were – they were like best friends. However, what really was bothering me was how out of place I felt. They were like a team, and I was left on the sidelines. It made me realize I wasn't having much of an impact on the type of man my son would turn out to be."

Flinn wants to be remembered positively by his children. "It seems funny but as I was thinking about this, I started to notice people saying things like, 'My dad wasn't around much' or 'I don't remember much about my dad.' Which is true because their fathers were always at work," he says. "It raises the question, is that how I want to be remembered by my kids?"

Flinn says it all comes down to priorities. "What is most important? Your family or yourself?" he asks.

Remember the wise man who said it's better to give than to receive? Flinn does. "If you do give of yourself to stay at home for your family, you will receive a hundred times what you sacrifice in terms of a better and closer relationship with your children," says Flinn. "Quite the return on your investment."

Want to see more?

• Making Change Work: Husbands and Wives in Stay-at-home-Dad Families
• Pressure to Provide: Balancing the Responsibilities of Father and Husband
• Stepping Off the Curb: Redefining Your Career Path
• Working at Home: Is It for You?
• Stay-at-home Dads Discussion Board
• The Dads Place