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The Financial Benefits of a Stay-at-Home Parent

Losing a source of income stings, but it may not hurt your finances as much as you think By Daniel Bortz Before Lance Somerfeld’s son was born in July 2008, he was working as a sixth-grade teacher at a high-need public school in the Bronx, earning a salary of roughly $45,000. He left his career to be a stay-at-home dad, wanting to be involved in his boy’s early milestones—milestones Somerfeld’s own father missed while he worked a full-time job throughout Somerfeld’s childhood. The decision to become a stay-at-home dad also made sense financially. “For a quality day care or a …Read more […..]

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This Stay At Home Dad Needs to Get Going!

For the last year or so I have taken my eye off the ball of what is really important. It is a very subtle thing, the ability to take attention off what is truly important even when you think that you are not doing so. There are numerous factors that have made this happen and I blame only myself. Melissa and I have made some questionable decisions over the years but things have been very good for us–at least everyone around us would think so. I have always said that time flies, even when I was a young 19 year old I often looked back and thought “Where did the time go?” This feeling is always …Read more […..]

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Almost Drowned on Memorial Day Weekend?! Looong Drives, Finished With Kindergarten!

I have always tried to keep an eagle’s eye watch on Emma and have recommended that other’s do the same. Well, we experienced the It Can Happen In An Instant dilemma on Memorial Day Weekend! Lucky for us, it turned out Ok with a lesson well learned for all of us. I was working on the pier section in front of the pontoon boat and Emma was swimming with her older cousin Tay on the other side of the main pier, about 10 feet away. Melissa was outside watching them when I called to her to help keep the boat from ramming into me due to the wavy water that day. Melissa held the boat for me while I tightened …Read more […..]

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6 years old! Skip-Dancing Daddy!

Well, another year has passed and our little girl is now 6 years old! Wow! Where did the time go?!? I can’t believe that 6 years has went by so fast! Our little girl is growing up too fast! She is getting so smart and learning so much in kindergarten that I can hardly believe it! To celebrate her birthday, Emma was able to have 3 small parties. First, Emma had a Princess Party with her cousins and friends where the girls were dressed up like princesses and had lots of fun! Emma also had a small party at Nonnie and Poppie’s in Wisconsin. As is par for the course, Emma didn’t want …Read more […..]

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Stay At Home Dad Thoughts While Holding Emma’s Hand While Walking to School, Emma Does My Hair

Everyday, when I bring Emma to school, I park the car and actually get out of the car and walk her to the door–many lazy and overweight parents out there!. I have been doing so through the winter too, good thing we have had such a mild one! While we walk, Emma always holds my hand. This also applies to when I pick her up after school.There are several other stay at home dads and stay at home moms that do the same. We have not given in, rebels as we are,  to the school’s request that all kids take the bus. I recently got to thinking, as I often do, about holding my daughter’s little hand. …Read more […..]

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The Only Stay At Home Dad Who Feels This Way?

Before beginning, I want to first say that I love my wife Melissa very much! She is truly the light of my life and I can’t imagine life without her. She is a very loving mother who loves our daughter Emma immensely. There is nothing both she and I would not do for our daughter and each other. For the last 8 years, while I have been pursuing entrepreneurial goals as well as being a stay at home dad, Melissa has shouldered the financial burden of our family(for more info on how we got to this point Click Here) and it has really been tough on her. Trying to balance an expanding career and family is …Read more […..]

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Whew! We Dodged a Bullet!

Well, last night we surely got lucky! We had to call the Poison Control Hotline two times and were up very late. Their number is 1-800-222-1222. Emma has had a cold off and on for almost two weeks, us too. She had been coughing badly ever since the weekend-3, yes 3 parties on Saturday?.. Before bed we gave her a Triaminic grape flavored nighttime cough and cold strip. this was about 930. I thinking that i should put the medicine in the cabinet but figured that I would be coming up soon and Emma was trustworthy-I had told her before that she should never take an medicine without us knowing …Read more […..]

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Daddy, We Had a Good Day…

Melissa was out of town for a day recently. Emma and I kept ourselves busy after school. Among other things, we danced–We took turns dancing to music from the Ipad(Emma loves the Ipad and plays many games on it). One of us would dance while the other watched and clapped afterwards. Emma loves to watch her Stay at home Daddy dance!!! After that we played Wii. We played the Disney Princess game as well as the Mario Winter Olympics. We had dinner and then settled down for the evening before bed. The main reason for this post is because while I was reading Emma a book in bed, she looked …Read more […..]

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The Big Boys! “Can I Tell You Something?” Privacy While in Bathroom..

Emma has become good friends with the boys down the street. There are 2 boys, Evan and Ethan, that are a year older than her as well as a boy, Nathan, that is a year younger then her. They live down the street and love to come to our cul-de-sac where they can ride their bikes, their motorized cars, and scooters with her. It is so funny to watch them playing because Emma leads the way with the puppy dog boys following along. When they are at their house and Emma is in our front yard, they are constantly yelling messages back and forth. The little guy, Nathan, is the most vocal and aggressive about …Read more […..]

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“Mommie, Why Can’t I Have a Real Car? I Want A Real Car”, Field Trip To Cosley Zoo, School Picnic!

Emma has really loved driving her Barbie Mustang since she got it. She brings her toys and stuffed animals in with her and rocks out to the “radio” that her car has. She has become quite a good little driver and recently said to Melissa, “Mommy, why can’t I have a real car? I want a real car like yours.” Too funny! We told her she has to wait another ten years and she said she doesn’t want to. Emma’s preschool had another field trip to the Cosley zoo and I volunteered to be the Chaperone. I had the privilege to drive Emma and her BFF Avery to the zoo. It was fun watching …Read more […..]

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