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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I'd like to be a SAHD...

951 replies

sussexcoast98 · 18/09/2024 16:19

Completely hypothetical situation but I'd like some female opinion on this if I could please?

So I am male, 26, single, but would one day love to change this and have a wife and children of my own.

When that time comes, I would really love the idea of staying home with the children and being a full-time Dad!

Now, obviously none of you know me, but I am not one of those 'alpha-male', aggressive, insecure men who believes that women are second class citizens and that 'gender roles' come from reality, instead of ignorant and nasty social conditioning stemming from a time when women were treated as virtually inhuman and worthy of no rights at all. I believe that there is no such thing as a male/female divide, and there is instead an ADULT/CHILD divide.

I believe that either adult can carry out either of the adult roles, as they see fit, it has nothing to do with gender, as if only women/men were able to do these things, then it would be physically impossible for the other to do, but that obviously is not the case!

What I mean is: as a man, I cannot lactate. I cannot menstruate. That is an example of something that only women can do. It is physically impossible for men to do them.

It is NOT physically impossible for a man to stay at home and care for and bring up/look after their baby while their wife is at work. Social conditioning has brainwashed society into believing that it is WRONG if men are to do this, as society wants the role carried out by women, regardless of the man's ability.

Many use shaming tactics to try and push this agenda further, such as stating that it is 'emasculating' for a man to want to care for children, but there are men that do exist in society that are not insecure enough to be taken in by this - I am one of those people.

Obviously I know that it is something that would have to be agreed with both parties and she realistically would have to be earning more for it to work and be viable (otherwise we could both go part time to both have time with the kids and financially contribute, should she also want time at home with them as well)

I just really love the idea of doing the personal care of looking after and bringing up/caring for my child/ren in their early years and in addition to that, love the idea of pampering my lady when she has had a hard day, such as by cooking her a nice meal, and spending some nice time together in the evenings - hopefully with some cuddles and sex too! :)

Looking after our home and keeping it clean and tidy, is just simple common sense and something that needs to be done to stay hygienic - it is not a 'feminine' activity at all! All men have to do it to keep clean when they live alone, but once they live with a partner, it is suddenly a 'female' chore? So they were women before they moved in with their DW were they? Do me a favour.

If my lady is at work providing for our family financially then I owe it to her as her husband to keep my side of the deal and ensure that all household and childcare tasks are completed for her when she gets home. The exception to this would be if she proactively wants time alone with the kids to bond when she gets in, for example.

I really like the idea of cooking her a nice 3-course meal during the day and for her to come home to a nice candle-lit romantic dinner served up by her loving hubby! :) Who knows, perhaps it could lead to cuddles, snogging and sex to wind the day down!

I know these days are a long way off but I do have this dream in my head that I could be the modern day 'Rosa Parks' that changes forever society's perception of men and women, just as Rosa did with blacks and whites.

I suppose I have always been a very gentle, softly-spoken man that is described by everyone I know as very kind and loving and thoughtful, and I just have always found the idea of being a full-time dad as a sort of 'calling' - I feel it fits very well with my personality traits.

Hopefully I can one day find a lady to write a story with and we can be each other's happily ever after, but I guess I have to wait for now.

It goes without saying that the very large majority of men currently do not share my values, being very hands-off and sexist to their wives, you only need to spend 10 minutes on here on a daily basis to see that! But I hope this post can show some of the ladies on here that gentle, loving very family-orientated men do exist :)

Have a nice afternoon everyone x

OP posts:
GigiAnnna · 18/09/2024 17:17

YankSplaining · 18/09/2024 17:10

I did. I wanted to be one ever since I was old enough to think about having my own kids someday, and it was a non-negotiable when it came to my relationship with my now-husband.

Yes I can imagine that most people ( women to be fair) probably would choose to stay at home with their children if the circumstances allow.
But you can't realistically make that your goal in life without even knowing who the mother/ father of your child is going to be, what their thoughts are on the matter, finances etc. It worked out well for you, same for me. But to make that your ambition is a little obtuse. OP might be infertile for a start.

HauntedbyMagpies · 18/09/2024 17:17

Sounds like you've got it all figured out exactly how you can (& no doubt will) avoid working.

No woman plans to be a SAHM! It's a discussion you have together, usually based on who's the lesser earner.

You just sound lazy and like you're dressing it up as 'equality' 🙄

DeathStarCanteenGal · 18/09/2024 17:18

you lost me at full time dad.
I work full time - doesn't mean I'm a part time parent.
And 'my lady' smacks of possessiveness and entitlement, which is t exactly appealing either

SilenceInside · 18/09/2024 17:18

@sussexcoast98

"Have a little look online at articles regarding working from home with a newborn, Pampers do a good one! You probably wouldn't want to hear it coming from me."

If you want people to read articles that you think are relevant you should have the decency to actually link them.

And your tone is absolutely patronising here, in every sense of that word. You are talking to many working parents here who worked through lockdown with small children at home. I don't need to read an article by a nappy manufacturer to tell me what it's like.

Serriadh · 18/09/2024 17:18

sussexcoast98 · 18/09/2024 17:11

Could well do, but having been at work all day, perhaps I want to lighten her load and give her the chance to relax?

Perhaps I even want to eat with her when she gets in, rather than separately? Perhaps I want to do that because I love her and her company?

Takeaways cost money. They, and money, don't grow on trees I'm afraid!

But who’s looking after the kids while you cook? Who’s doing baths and bed and reading to them or hearing them read and checking they did their spellings? Who’s doing the hour long wind down with the Velcro baby strapped to them that’s necessary before they’ll go down?

OP, how are you preparing for your dream now? Are you taking a low paid easily-quittable job so you’ll be the obvious choice for someone to give up work / go part time when the time comes? Or are you going for a highly paid role now so you get well ahead with pension contributions and save up to cover your SAHP years? Are you being really careful with your online dating or who you meet socially? You need a high-flying partner with high earning potential but who isn’t attracted to similarly career-driven people. Someone extremely resilient who can shoulder the burden of providing financially for you all, including continuing payments into a pension for you while you’re a SAHP, and someone extremely trusting who won’t worry you’re just a gold digger. That’s quite the criteria!

MauveLeader · 18/09/2024 17:18

This is the best quote I ever heard on here. Pissing myself, You should be my bestie xx

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 18/09/2024 17:19

Sorry but this sounds like a bit of a fantasy. Best go through the process of meeting a woman first and agreeing to have kids together, before you get it all planned.

sussexcoast98 · 18/09/2024 17:19

CrouchingTigerHiddenChocolate · 18/09/2024 17:15

You could probably afford a takeaway if you got a job and didn't plan a 3 course meal every night....

Being a trailblazer won't pay the bills.

And it doesn't pay the bills when a lady is at home either. Doesn't stop them doing it if financially viable!

Not exactly healthy to have takeaways every night is it? Want to make past 30 if possible!

What's to stop me cooking when I am capable? So you can then say 'he stays at home and does nothing' and have your clique tell me what a deadbeat I am?

OP posts:
LynetteScavo · 18/09/2024 17:20

I always wanted to be a SAHM. I would have physically fought my DH if he thought he was going to be the SAHP rather than me. I realise I was very privileged to be able to be a SAHP until my youngest was 6yo. I know hardly any families that can afford that these days.

SilenceInside · 18/09/2024 17:20

"Secondly, drop the misandrist and passive-aggressive 'provide for you' as if it is any different to that reverse situation."

Any man who speaks to women in this way using the utterly stupid term "misandry" to describe a woman disagreeing with him, is really showing his true anti-women colours.

imverynosey · 18/09/2024 17:21

It would kill my sex drive if I was with someone that didn't want to go out and provide as a man. There would be no sex . Well, there would be no relationship.

Although I get troll vibes, if you're genuine, I'm sure you will find someone who is into this but I like my man as a strong provider

takealettermsjones · 18/09/2024 17:21

What's to stop me cooking when I am capable? So you can then say 'he stays at home and does nothing' and have your clique tell me what a deadbeat I am?

Aaaand the mask falls off

IdgieThreadgoodeIsMyHeroine · 18/09/2024 17:22

I know these days are a long way off but I do have this dream in my head that I could be the modern day 'Rosa Parks' that changes forever society's perception of men and women, just as Rosa did with blacks and whites.

I was actually just sick in my mouth reading that. Good luck finding a woman who'll marry you, @sussexcoast98- I think you're going to need it.

PontiacFirebird · 18/09/2024 17:22

Submissive m’lady man.

😂

SquirrelSoShiny · 18/09/2024 17:24

FancyPuffin · 18/09/2024 16:27

Thank goodness you’ve said, I didn’t know men could stay at home. My mind is blown. Even Rosa Parks can’t hold a candle to the struggles you will encounter as the first male to do cook, do housework and look after your fictional children.

Someone alert the ladies, a new dawn is coming.

😂 so true.

Anyways OP get your screenshots and crawl back to whatever incel cesspit steered you here. You got us all! Shout gotcha and backslap your other like-minded buddies 🙄 Come back for actual advice when you grow into your big boy pants.

TouringTheTearooms · 18/09/2024 17:24

I do have this dream in my head that I could be the modern day 'Rosa Parks' that changes forever society's perception of men and women, just as Rosa did with blacks and whites

Yes. Standing up for all the poor, downtrodden, discriminated-against men folk.

You'll change the world.

YankSplaining · 18/09/2024 17:24

I believe that there is no such thing as a male/female divide, and there is instead an ADULT/CHILD divide.

The mother of the baby has a different connection with the baby due to purely evolutionary reasons; back in caveman days, mothers had to be particularly attuned to their babies so they could breastfeed them and keep them alive. I woke up when my newborn daughter coughed. My husband could sleep through her crying. Of course fathers can be stay-at-home parents, and do a good job, but babies and their mothers have a unique relationship.

You’re not going to be making those fantastic dinners and getting the house clean, trust me - at least not until your youngest child goes off to school. You’re going to do things like spend an hour getting a screaming baby to burp, or change the baby into his/her seventh set of clothes in one day because s/he keeps spitting up and having diaper blowouts.

CrouchingTigerHiddenChocolate · 18/09/2024 17:24

sussexcoast98 · 18/09/2024 17:19

And it doesn't pay the bills when a lady is at home either. Doesn't stop them doing it if financially viable!

Not exactly healthy to have takeaways every night is it? Want to make past 30 if possible!

What's to stop me cooking when I am capable? So you can then say 'he stays at home and does nothing' and have your clique tell me what a deadbeat I am?

Careful op, you have a bit of incel showing through your "I'm a nice guy" act. Don't want to let that out before you hoodwink some poor woman into providing you the lifestyle you want.

BePearlSheep · 18/09/2024 17:26

It’s all hypothetical until you’re actually married and have children…

It’s also not that unusual these days.

IdgieThreadgoodeIsMyHeroine · 18/09/2024 17:26

I have always babysat and looked after young family members and every last one of them have said what a natural I was and how I had a calling for it - heads literally turned in the room when they saw the way I interacted with a child I barely knew, and how they responded to me. A few times they refused to go to family gatherings if I wasn't there!

Oh my god I was just sick more.

Thefaceofboe · 18/09/2024 17:26

I really like the idea of cooking her a nice 3-course meal during the day and for her to come home to a nice candle-lit romantic dinner served up by her loving hubby! :) Who knows, perhaps it could lead to cuddles, snogging and sex to wind the day down!

where are the kids when you plan on doing this?

TillyKister · 18/09/2024 17:28

I'm getting Kevin from Motherland vibes 😂

Ah, OP I hope you get your dream. I think you'll think it's not so wonderful when it occurs though.

God loves a trier though bless you

IdgieThreadgoodeIsMyHeroine · 18/09/2024 17:29

sussexcoast98 · 18/09/2024 16:43

silenceinside - Was hoping to give a breath of fresh air to many women on here that have, shall we say, men in their lives with a negative attitude to this kind of thing. Just a little post I was hoping would bring a smile to a few faces and make them think 'oh, that's sweet!'

But I'll know better next time

Out of interest, @sussexcoast98, have you ever met a woman who isn't your own mother?

IVFmumoftwo · 18/09/2024 17:30

Thefaceofboe · 18/09/2024 17:26

I really like the idea of cooking her a nice 3-course meal during the day and for her to come home to a nice candle-lit romantic dinner served up by her loving hubby! :) Who knows, perhaps it could lead to cuddles, snogging and sex to wind the day down!

where are the kids when you plan on doing this?

Running in, interrupting it or banging on the door.

Theunamedcat · 18/09/2024 17:30

"I just really love the idea of doing the personal care of looking after and bringing up/caring for my child/ren in their early years"

Really? Why?

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