Who am I?
My name is Jason, I am a Stay-at-Home Dad living in England. I’ve got two beautiful children; my boy, William was born in 2014, while my ‘baby’ girl, Sophie was born in 2003. We also have three lovely doggies that bring a lot of joy and happiness into our lives.
I became an enforced ‘stay at home’ dad in December 2017, following a severe mental breakdown caused by work, which was followed by a further diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as ME or CFS). My whole life as I knew it changed almost overnight.
New circumstances left me taking care of my ‘mini-me’ son, with support from my gorgeous wife, a senior manager at a pharmaceutical company. Even though life has been anything but easy since spending time with William nearly every minute of every day (apart from when he is at school) has been hugely rewarding. Our father-son bond has grown beyond anything I could have imagined or hoped for. Being a stay at home dad means I am always available for him to provide guidance, and have a huge say in his upbringing.
My girl, Sophie lives with my ex-wife quite a distance away. I used to see her regularly and felt we too had a close bond. However, as she entered mid-teens the contact became less frequent, which hurt a lot. Now she is nearing late teens the frequency of her texting is increasing, which is pleasing and offers hope for the future.
Before becoming a Stay-at-Home dad, I was a Senior Manager working incredibly long hours in the City, travelling daily and feeling stressed more often than not. On weekdays, I literally had no time for my kids, my marriage, or myself. Thanks to my new role, I do not have to travel much, I’ve got the time for people I love, but can still get as stressed as I used to due to my condition. My new role of Stay-at-Home dad also came with a 100% pay cut. William and I are avid supporters and season ticket holders at Reading Football Club, much like I was with my dad and grandfather. We are keen for William to discover his own interests, hence trying different after school clubs such as Climbing, Yoga, Street Dance, Tae Kwon Do, Football, Swimming as well as additional studies within an enhanced learning centre. It would be impossible for us to support my son’s busy schedule it was not a ‘Stay-at-Home’ dad.
Why this website?
Having done this for almost three years, I know what it means to be a stay-at-home dad, and I would like to share my experience. Whereas I feel I am established in my current role, new events will always come in and knock you sideways if you are not properly oriented. I’m writing this blog to share my experiences and hear about yours.
I will be posting educative and informative blog articles relating to being a Dad and a Parent. You may also learn a little bit move about me and my history.
I will share with you the benefits, as well as the possible challenges of being a stay-at-home dad. You will also be able to see my Instagram and Facebook page feeds (Please like and follow these social media pages for up to date information and humour).
Worried about becoming a stay at home dad?
Here’s what you should know:
Thanks to the modern mindset and a global economic hardship, an increasing number of men stay at home with their kids. These days wives equally get to experience the joy of g casual Fridays and rush hour traffic. It was a surprise to find that in the US alone an estimated 190,000 families with kids under the age of 15 had ‘stay-at-home’ dads in the year 2018.
What this shows is that there is many of stay at home dads out there and you’ve got nothing to fear. Hundreds of thousands of dads are pulling it off, so can you!
Welcome to my website once again. If you’ve got any questions, feel free to send me a message now!