A great deal of attention is paid to the working mom. She is given special status for working and raising children. It is the mom who gets accolades for her hard work and dedication to too many activities and commitments. But she is not the only one working and raising children in a home. It’s time to pay a little respect to the working dad.

The Working Man

As long as stereotypes have ruled our lives, men have had the important job of leaving the house everyday and bringing home a nice paycheck. According to the stereotype, he’s supposed to bring in enough paycheck to pay all the bills, keep everyone fed and comfortable and allow the mommy to be at home raising the kids without having to even think about an office or commute.

Women didn’t like the stereotype, so they changed it. Now men leave the house every day and head to work to bring home a decent paycheck and women have the option to leave, too. Sometimes women stay home, and on very rare occasions the father will stay at home with children, but this is most definitely the exception. In this country, men work. And that work and the paycheck it brings are a special kind of loving gift to a family.

Finding Balance

Some men buy into the Working Man theory so strongly they forget to balance their work with their families. After all they are working to support and show their love for their families, so they keep at it for long hours. But most children and wives will agree that while money and the security it brings are essential, they are not the means of loving expression they seek.

A family includes the dad. And if that dad is spending all of his time at work, he is missing out on the pleasure of his wife and children, and they are missing out on his company. A family is not complete and is not as fulfilling without all of the members.

Take Time…

So working dads must make a conscious effort to take time away from work. Leave the office at a certain time. Declare weekends work-free days. Turn off the laptop and phones until after the children are in bed. Take the family on a weekend getaway. Even if you just take an hour after dinner to play outside with your children and visit with your wife, not only will your life be richer, their lives will be more positively impacted as well.