yer gonna have to try harder if you want to start a controversy

aaron, seems to me you've described yourself accurately. You need to grow a pair.

Sorry to be so harsh, but if you were an immature flake before becoming Mr. Mom, expecting your kids to transform you into Joe Responsibility is only the latest delusion on your part.

You better watch your kids like a hawk for signs of mental or emotional distress. Get them into therapy ASAP. Get yourself into therapy, too, because maturity is not the just-add-kids miracle you believe it to be.

I think many women have gone through a similar revelation about staying at home--I'm not sure it's earth-shattering, but realizing the importance of the job you're doing for your family is good.

I'm not sure why the other commenters need to be so hostile. It sounds to me like you already "grew a set."

Usually articles by fathers who stay home with kids end up being tiresome boasts about how idiotic, incompetent and lazy they are at it and how those are somehow a virtues instead of proof of idiocy and incompetence and laziness.

I'm guessing these shortfalls are common to any male or female parent, but instead of admiring himself for his oh-so-adorable limitations, Traister identified them as idiocy, incompetence, and laziness.

Nice to see that in an era in which we're bombarded with movie and beer commercial stereotypes of men as idiotic, incompetent and lazy.

I'm glad this has worked out for you and your family and that you have made your peace with it.

Sorry...but that's my only question.

Actually, I did notice your surname...but I'll leave that impending question to someone else.

In short?....I gather you're both an adult and a a parent, but we're supposed to be fascinated by your inability to comprehend yourself as such...and...gosh.....maybe grow up?

Perhaps you could write your next article on making bacon at home, while making it clear that you've never done it before, know next to nothing about it, and really have nothing to offer beyond your own really-really-interesting personhoodness.

It's been done on Salon by Traisters before you, so I can't think of a good reason why it wouldn't fly now.

Bemusedly,

David Terry

www.davidterryart.com

You've become enlightened to the point that you believe doing your damn job is a virtue. It's like the Chris Rock line..."I support my kids....." "You SUPPOSED to support your kids, that's yo damn job!!!!"

Well at any rate I'm sure when you get together with your buds and you all have board shorts, flip flops, backwards hats and a t-shirt with a tequila ad on it you all feel something. Good on you, dood.

I have to give you kudos, you came around and realized what was happening to you and became a better person – man. I am not sure why everyone is being so harsh, but I signed in to let you know that at least you realized you were being a jerk and made the change! If any working couple can make the sacrifice to let one parent stay home with the children it is worth it! So what’s for dinner?

This was a nice parenting piece. Not too smug or dopey. Actually, Aaron sounds like a mature person who has found a fulfilling place for himself in the world and in his family.

It was a crummy movie, and a crummy bit of slang that still sticks around.

I'm Mr. Dad, dammit!

Me I like to watch the Military Channel as I fold clothes and do dishes. BOMBS! MISSILES! SOCKS! I don't bake, I do brakes on the cars. My wife learned how to bake from her Dad. She learned how to punch from her Mom!

Me I realized that the working word is a really fucked up place to spend your life. I get to spend my life raising my kids instead! YIPEE, NO MORE DEALING WITH OFFICE ASSHOLES!

Growing up is hard to do, and realizing that all the little things we do create an imprint on our children is an even more important revelation. Taking care of your family is one of the most important things that a man can do, and not enough men step up to the task. Taking care of the family may mean earning the income, but it also means taking care of the house and the children and too often this is left to the mom, even if she has the same demanding career as her partner. Many women give up any paying work to take care of the kids, and are either elevated up on a pedestal or don't get respected, so obviously, you're going to get jeered and dissed as well. Instead, I'm going to say congratulations for setting an example for your kids (and hopefully for other men). When the definition of masculinity and ascendance to male adulthood includes being a good father and kicking ass with the vacuum, we may finally get somewhere in these ridiculous gender battles.

I have more respect for you than most corporate douchebags.

But, why did you have to lie about it?

One year old's that can barely talk and walk are not part tornado.

It might make for great fiction, but I stopped reading because of that blatant lie.

I'm not sure why you felt the need to lie like that, but I believe 100% your staying at home had nothing to do with your kid being like a tornado.

That is beyond weak.

I thought it was well-written.

Puunjab, what are you talking about, both of my kids learned to walk at about 8 months old and were complete tornadoes by 1 year of age!

... from reading your article is that you've struggled a little to adapt to a role, and learned something from it, and gotten better at it. Nothing earth shattering, a few funny turns of phrase, at least as enjoyable as any other innocuous entry in the 'net's burgeoning parental commentary genre. (As the father of two, I can testify that parenthood doesn't seem to leave so little time that people can't write about every. Fucking. Minute of it.) Good piece. More would be nice.

What I learned from reading the letters is that Salon's population of commenting readers has just as high a proportion of desperately superior fucknuts as SF Gate and Youtube. It's a fluff piece, people. If you feel inspired to insult its author, you're a waste of space. If that sounds elitist, it's only because I'm a better person than you for knowing that much, which ain't much.

Oh, and I learned that puundude has no kids, or slow kids.