The role of a dad has traditionally been to work outside of the home and bring home the steady paycheck in order to support his family so that he can be respected as a man, a husband, and a father. That role has been changing as of late and has taken on a new dimension in real life as well as in films. Stay at home dad films have been gaining momentum ever since Michael Keaton made it look possible in Mr. Mom. The real challenge of a stay at home dad isn’t so much taking care of the house or the kids, it’s doing both and not going stir crazy at the same time.
Here are a few favorite stay at home dads that you might recognize.
5. Sonny Koufax – Big Daddy
When you’re a stay at home bum it seems like you’d be able to take on another person in your life, right? Wrong. Kids are anything but easy and can complicate your entire life in a matter of minutes. But if you can push through all the stuff they’ll throw at you, metaphorically speaking, then you’ll discover the real reward isn’t when they go to sleep and give you some quiet time, it’s the feeling they give you by just being a part of your life.
4. Gipetto – Pinocchio
Gipetto wanted a son so badly but was a renowned bachelor and dedicated craftsman. So he made a little wooden puppet to call his own and named him Pinocchio. Lo and behold the Blue Fairy came along and granted Gipetto the wish that he’d always desired by bringing Pinocchio to life. But she was careful in how she did this. Pinocchio would have to prove that he was worthy of becoming a real boy. In the end, Gipetto and Pinocchio both got their wish, and were reunited as father and son.
3. Charlie Hinton – Daddy Day Care
This is the perfect example of what it means to be a stay at home father. You bond with your children, you get to know them, and you do whatever it takes to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which they can grow. Others seem to take a dim view of males stepping into the role of a caretaker, but the important thing to remember is that men can be nurturing as well, and can be trusted to take care of children no matter the gender stereotypes that still exist.
2. Jack Torrance – The Shining
Okay, so he’s not the best example. In fact he’s probably the worst example of a stay at home dad largely because he goes crazy and tries to murder his own kid and his wife. But give this much to Jack, he is one of our favorites simply because he is that terrifying and is in fact a stay at home father, which is why he’s on this list. He’s not nurturing or in any way safe around his family, but his acting definitely makes him a favorite.
1. Jack Butler – Mr. Mom
Jack gets laid off unexpectedly and so mom has to go out and get a job and get back to the rat race. As you can imagine Jack doesn’t transition all that well into the stay at home dad role. But he does what he can and eventually makes it work. And all the while you can’t help but laugh at his antics and the manner in which he continually fumbles around trying to make sure his home and his kids are kept in one piece.
I’ll admit it, I’m a stay at home dad, and it’s rough some days. You don’t always have things as under control as you think, and sometimes everything goes off the rails without any warning at all. But you live with it, get over it, and deal with it. Just try not to step in it whenever possible.
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