As the debate surrounding gender roles and work-life balance continues to evolve, the idea of the stay-at-home dad is gaining attention. According to Pew Research, the number of stay-at-home dads has doubled in the past 20 years. In a society where career often takes priority over caregiving, more fathers are reconsidering their role in the family. This episode focuses on balancing parenting and career growth.
How will prioritizing time with our children during their formative years impact both our personal and professional lives?
On this episode of Grand Dads, host Tad Druart talks with renowned speaker and technology leader Tom Singer to explore non-traditional paths as a stay-at-home dad. Tom shares his journey before leaving a burgeoning career to raise his first daughter, the life-changing experiences that followed, and how these choices shaped his future as a father and professional. Let’s talk about how you shaped it.
Key takeaways from the episode: Parenting and career growth
Changing parenting paradigms: Tom details his decision to become a stay-at-home dad, driven by family priorities and his wife’s unexpected career opportunities. His experience challenges traditional gender roles and highlights the long-term benefits of spending more time with children. Building a Lasting Bond: By dedicating himself to full-time fatherhood during his daughter’s early years, Tom built a close and lasting bond with his daughter that led to a strong father-daughter bond that lasted her entire life. We laid the foundation for a relationship. From career sacrifices to rewarding returns: Tom shares how taking two years away from his career didn’t negatively impact his professional future. Instead, he returned to work with new perspectives and skills that strengthened his career trajectory and challenged the myth that career breaks are detrimental to long-term success.
Tom Singer is a highly regarded speaker and community connection with over 20 years of leadership experience. Before becoming a technology leader, he made the unconventional choice to become a stay-at-home dad for two years. This experience not only shaped his family life but also strengthened his professional trajectory. Tom is also known for winning the “$25,000 Pyramid,” an experience he humorously recalls in connection with his dream family trip to the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Changing the Paradigm of Parenting: A Journey from Stay-at-Home Dad to Technology Leader Tom Singer shares his decision to quit his career to stay home with his kids and how this experience enriched his personal and professional life. This proved to me how important it is to spend time with family. There are long-term benefits.
