Why I'm Glad to Be a Stay at Home Dad

Whenever I'm out in the middle of the afternoon with a child of mine I always tend to get the same quizzical look. It's the look of wondering why I'm not working. Why I'm out, dressed casually, and seemingly without a care in the world. It's because I'm a stay-at-home dad running a business from home with my wife.

A recent Pew study reveals that I'm not alone. According to Pew, stay-at-home dads have been on the upswing since the Great Recession, nearly doubling since 1989 to 2 million in 2012. To be honest, my situation isn't a true apples to apples comparison as because those surveyed either can't find a job (23 percent) or need to care for their home or family (21 percent).

Rather, it's more of an apples to oranges comparison as I am not in either of those. I chose to remove myself from the traditional workforce to run my own business – which also allows me the fringe benefit of staying home. Over the past few years, I've come to appreciate a number of the unique benefits I enjoy by working from home.