Single And Stay-At-Home Dads, Tell Me The Most Surprising Thing About Parenthood

Raising a child comes with surprises for every parent, regardless of circumstances. One thing that is certain, though, is that society still views moms as the default, primary parent. And because of that, dads who are as hands-on as moms often face unique surprises.

So, dads, I'm coming straight to the source to get perspectives on the matter: if you stay at home with the kids or if you're a single father, what are some parts of parenthood you didn't expect?

Maybe you've found that people treat you a little differently than other parents at things like kids' sports matches or PTA meetings. What are some things they've said or done?

Do people seem to have a common reaction to finding out you're — gasp — a dad who stays home? Tell us about it! Or maybe if you're single, people are really nosy as to why. That must be frustrating.

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Perhaps you've realized that a lot of the surprises that come with parenthood are things that women actually are taught, but men generally remain unaware of. What might they be?

Or maybe you've just noticed an amalgamation of small, interesting discrepancies: assumptions that Mom is always the primary parent, for example, or small comments from people saying how amazing you are for doing what women do all the time. Tell me what you've noticed!

From small things to big differences, I want to hear whatever you have to say about being a single or stay-at-home dad. Feel free to say whatever comes to mind in the comments below. Or, if you prefer, you can check out this anonymous Google Form. Your story may be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed article!