The economy has not been kind to any of us but I'm finding it's been cruel to men in particular. The New York Times reported men to be far more likely than women to have been laid-off and this seems to be very much the case in Brooklyn. As such, men (whether temporarily or for good) are more at home than ever before and some of them - many of them - are actually taking care of the kids while the mom works. I too lost my corporate job amid the recession but I'm working, full-time, on building my company Better Indeed LLC into something special (and profitable). And while there's a strong economic case against doing it, we're keeping our nanny. First, she's truly amazing and would be nearly impossible to replace; second, I'm way too busy and will likely find another corporate job; third, I don't have what it takes to be an always-on care-giver. That said I'm crazy about my kids and use my newfound flexibility to spend time with them in daylight. Understandably, I am looked upon as a stay-at-home-dad (SAHD) as must be dads who are authors and/or who work out of their own homes. So often wrongly categorized, I don't mind it so much. In fact it's given me insight into what I feel goes on inside a SAHD's mind:  Stay-at-home-dads have a brand identity issue. As most of these folks were placed into this role by an external event that was, presumably, outside of their control (i.e., a lay-off) many feel bad about it and their new deal if only for their loss of liberty (and say in the matter). Society is only now beginning to welcome men into the full-time childcare club. Change is slow and the looks that SAHDs often generate from the more traditional care-givers (i.e., moms and professional care-givers) can be more than a bit off-putting. It's not so much the look but the perceived judgement; even if its sympathy or surprise, it takes a while to get used to (like, perhaps, being a redhead). Stay-at-home-dads have a self-identity issue. Most men (including this one) were raised at a time when men were the primary bread winners. Not being able to win bread is hard on a man's ego. Yes, the economy is still in recovery mode but that doesn't make it any easier. So besides the real or imagined societal obloquy associated with being a SAHD, there's the completely real feeling of personal failure (however temporary it may be). Does staying at home with the kids make the man less of a man. For some, it actually does and this is devastating; every second spent not on the job search but on the playground or in the supermarket is an opportunity lost - and this makes the day go by VERY SLOWLY.  I would love to offer a solid third generic observation but nothing good comes to mind. This is an "interesting time" as they say; there is a tremendous amount of economic and emotional anguish going on in homes that, until now, were unaccustomed to such suffering. Equally, the world is changing, if not forever-changed and the change has happened more quickly than most of us are accustomed to. Our only recourse is to accept the change and know that it's for us to accept and run with. I'm doing my best to make the most of my situation but it's hard not to feel a bit down and out-of-place sometimes as the world goes on without me (and doesn't seem to miss me as much as I would have hoped)...