I finished reading this amazing parenting book called Fatherhood-dispatches from the early years. I’ve read a lot of these type of books over the years of parenting. This one holds a special place in my heart. Andrew’s heartfelt, hilarious and humbling words had me at the first chapter. He’s woven a special story about life as a Stay at Home Dad.
SAHD’s are a rarity although I have a friend who was one for awhile with both kids. Like Andrew, his wife had an excellent job with a benefit package that was far to valuable for the family to give up. My husband and I chose that route while living in the city. I stayed home and he went to work. We saved a lot more financially than two parents working and an exorbitant day care bill each year. I know that doesn’t always factor in with each family I’m glad it did with ours. Respect to the parents on the front lines of the workforce and the ones who are home raising those tiny humans into the next generation of society’s finest members of society.
[bctt tweet=”Stay-at-home-dads are rare in this day, but check out this book about one! #SAHD #dadlife” username=”losethecape”]
Andrew had me laughing with his chapter on how to put a child who doesn’t want to sleep to bed. As bedtime is always a battle here with my youngest. How he described in great detail the 20 steps to accomplish this laborious task I found myself quietly giggling as the rest my household slept. Then I gave into full out belly laughter as I read his oldest sons bedtime routine in 25 steps of hilarity! His and his sons humour leaps off the page bringing smiles and tears of laughter with their honest exchanges
I could see a lot of myself on these pages as Andrew described the way being at home and being everything to your kids can be both a blessing and an exhausting role to play. He shares how he had felt like he was losing his identity and took up marathon running when his wife Michelle was expecting their second baby. I understood this more than I was willing to admit when I thought back to how many hours I spent sitting in the same chair day after day feeding my baby, delegating helper jobs to my preschooler, and not having the energy to shower, clean up the toys for the 50 th time that day, or be called Mom for awhile.
I loved how in each chapter Andrew made me laugh and cry with the sweetness expressed in his love for his children. As well as his admonishment for the bottomless bottle of energy they had reserved. Especially on the nights when the baby’s up 5 times a night!
Andrew is a gifted writer and I’m happy that I had a chance to read and review his first book. I feel like I know him or at least know his life as a stay at home writing parent. I would recommend this book to any new parents to be. Especially Dads who take on this gratifying, loving, and exhausting time of being home full time with their children. I have a lot respect for working outside the home and working inside the home roles as I’ve been both myself and was raised by incredible parents. I think that’s all we’re trying to be to our family’s boundless expensers of energy, facilitators of fun and games, and makers of marvellous mealtimes. All while trying not to fall asleep in our bowl of Cheerios.
Be sure to follow Andrew Knott on his social media links for more laughter,honesty and of course ambiguity.
Amazon link-
https://www.amazon.com/Fatherhood-Dispatches-Early-Andrew-Knott/dp/1533005567/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Website-
http://www.explorationsofambiguity.com
Amazon profile-
http://www.amazon.com/author/andrewbknott
Facebook-
https://www.facebook.com/ExplorationsOfAmbiguity/
Twitter-
About the Author
Andrew Knott is a writer originally from Titusville, Florida. His writing has appeared online in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The Higgs Weldon, RAZED, Queen Mob’s Teahouse, Defenestration Magazine, Scary Mommy, Flash Fiction Magazine, and The Huffington Post. He also writes on his website, Explorations of Ambiguity. He and his wife Michelle currently live in Orlando with their three children.