Like many people, I grew up with one stay-at-home parent. But for me, that parent was my dad.
Growing up, my father stayed home raising my brother and I while my mom worked long 9 hour shifts as an accountant. Having parents in flipped gender roles never felt strange. But sometimes, people would give my dad a hard time.
My dad wasn’t the best chef — for a while he made us hard boiled eggs and rice for breakfast everyday — so he took a class to improve his cooking. Other things came naturally to him. He taught me to read using the Captain Underpants books. He took me on hikes to teach me about wildlife. He taught me how to catch crawfish with my bare hands.
My mom worked hard to give our family a good life. She taught me to be aware of my actions. She made me respect doing good work.
Someday I might have a family of my own. And I’m not sure if I’ll stay at home like my dad or work like my mom. But when I get there, thanks to my parents, I’ll feel confident in either choice.