Think your husband is ready to be a stay-at-home dad (SAHD)? Ask yourself these questions, taken from the SAHD Evaluator on www.ParenTeam.com, a resource for working wives of SAHDs.
Does he feel completely at ease with a burping pad in one hand, a baby bottle in the other, and a half-eaten sandwich in the other?
Do bathroom odors bother him?
Can he hold hands and dance around in a circle?
Would he have a problem going to the refrigerator every 10 minutes for eight hours a day to refill the apple juice cup?
Is he patient?
How fast can he make oatmeal? grilled cheese? tunaballs?
How would you rate his time-management skills? His organizational skills? His listening skills? His operating-the-DVD-recorder skills?
Would he miss the fast pace of corporate life, his blackberry? the onsite cafeteria?
Can he mop, vacuum, scrub and wipe? If not, is he willing to learn?
How would you describe his relationship with liquid laundry detergent?
Does he know where the local grocery store is? If so, has he ever been inside it – alone?
Is it hard for him to be the center of attention?
How would you rate his self-assurance?
How is his singing voice?
Does he have a sense of humor?
Does he crave “me” time?
Would he mind reading “Harold and the Purple Crayon” 1,785 times a day to people who will point out ANY misread or skipped word?
Does driving around town in circles bother him?
Does driving around town in circles with screaming children bother him?
Does driving around town in circles with screaming children and potentially dirty diapers bother him?
Be honest. Your children's childhoods are at stake. And the reality is that whether they're cutting deals in an office or cutting hair in a salon, some dads just aren’t the stay-at-home type. You may want your husband to be a SAHD as much as he thinks he can be one, but sometimes it pays to listen to your gut. Whatever he may tell you, you know what you know. Stay tuned for more on evaluating his SAHD readiness in future articles.
Mom Types 
