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What are you expecting as a new dad? I am not sure what to expect, except I know that I will be giving up any chance of getting out of the house and continue on with my life for another six or seven years. It is the reality of our situation, I have disability income for all my various ills and injuries, and Katy doesn’t so I am the logical choice as primary care giver for the kids. I hate it and am resentful of it almost every day, but I do it because as a responsible parent you have to give up what you want a good part of the time to make sure your kids are taken care of.

So what am I expecting this time that will be different? Well unless the economy turns around and Katy can find a good job, any job she has will leave us getting social services including insurance, which will be different for me. Not having insurance for nearly seven years is what let me get as bad off as I did in the first place. I am also older, wiser, and have a more defined career path that works with staying at home. Writing and blogging aren’t considered “real work” by the bureaucrats so profits generated only have to be reported as made, but not income earned. The IRS takes a different view, but with two kids it should work to our benefit.

The unknown quantity for me is Liam. I don’t know if he will be a help or a hindrance or really how to train him to be helpful. For as smart as he is, he is also one of the most inefficient people I have ever met and I just want to strangle him for it regularly. I don’t of course, though some days I think I only don’t, because I know he is helpful come tax time.

Does anyone else have thoughts on how to train a regularly clueless ten year old to be helpful with a baby?