The At-Home Dad Uniform

Wake up early and feed Bubs 1 breakfast. Check. Change his diaper and assist in brushing his teeth. Check. Encourage him to pick out some clothes and help him dress. Check.

Shower for dad? Mmm... depends on the day. I stay home all day. Who do I need to shower for?

If you've seen Mr Mom, then you're likely familiar with the scene when Michael Keaton's character beings hallucinating and projecting his own demise. Among other indicators of losing track of purpose as an at-home dad, he wears a flannel shirt for over two weeks straight, doesn't shave and likely has forgotten to shower.

I can relate. I've written a blog about being confused in attempting to organize which shoes are my "in house" shoes, which pair were my shoes for the basement and which shoes for for wearing only in the garage? Why was I trying to organize such goofiness? Well, this is my job and when I started it, over two years ago, I was not provided a training guide. I was simply trying to figure out the job duties. I found myself creating too much "office policy" and soon started micromanaging my own clothing. To make a long story short, I finally figured out which shoes are worn where. I have to focus on the product here.

My kids are the product of this job - not me. The shoes shoes shouldn't have gotten in the way, but they nearly drove me nuts. I should just wear an employee uniform, complete with a name tag that says, "Dad." That's it.

The pictures I share on this blog show my "uniform" for the past three days (and nights) - straight. That's right, I said "straight." No washing, no mercy. Complete with scruff. It's about the kids now, not me.

Soon, both bubs will be old enough to recognize my behavior. I'll be a role model and this will require me to practice better hygiene.

Consequently, there are pajama jeans on the market that (mostly women) are buying. Here's a pair. I was made aware of these pj jeans while reading a friend's discussion on Facebook recently. She was posing the question on whether she should invest in a pair. She is an at-home mom with three kids and also works from the home. It was this post that I realized I lost out on a potential money maker. Pajamas that look like jeans? One can wear them to bed and all day long? Dammit! I've been doing this for a couple of years already. This should have been my entrepreneurial idea. I responded to her post.

I wrote something to the effect of, "I'm doing this every day, but with real jeans." Basically implying that she should not feel embarrassed and to purchase a pair. What a loss! I could have made a potential bundle! I'll keep an eye out for the next big thing. A lesson learned.

Maybe an at-home dad uniform isn't a bad idea after all? Complete with the necessary pockets to hold tissues, binkys and one to collect all the choking hazzards, i.e. safety clips and rubber bands, that tend to exist all around the house. I like it. It's sounding like a great idea.

Good thing this blog is time-stamped.