For nearly three years I have had a voice in my head telling me to be a work from home dad. That voice started as a tiny whisper and as of late has turned into a loud scream. I know working from home isn’t an easy thing to do, and I’ve read that many many people have failed in trying to do so (both emotionally and financially). That aside, I can’t help but feel there is some reason this voice isn’t going away.

I plan to make a good ol’ fashioned pros and cons list and take a hard look at it. Rather than leaving all of this excitement to myself, I’ll share the list with you all here.

A few pros:

1. More time with the kids.
   I can’t help but scratch my head wondering why we work to pay someone to watch our children. Granted the daycare bill is not my total wage, but it’s a significant amount.
2. A break from ‘The Real World’.
   It’s shocking to me how much I wanted to grow up and how little I enjoy being ‘grown up’.
3. A chance to succeed. I mean really, really succeed.
   Thankfully my profession as a graphic and web designer can be easily facilitated from home. All I need is a computer loaded up with software, a place to sit and internet access (and lots of coffee). The rest is just the organizational and motivational skills needed to make it happen.
4. I’m young and if I were to fall, I trust I can get back up.
   As I’ve talked about before one of the things I admire about my father above all is that he’s always went for it. I don’t want to be looking back later in life saying, “I wish I would have…”.
5. A break from running a copier.
   Those of you who know me well, know how much I appreciate my job and employer. I have an extremely high level of respect for all of the folks at PCG, and don’t want this post to be misunderstood. With that being said, I didn’t ever imagine I’d spend a large amount of my time running copiers. Loading paper, sending files and counting out sets of 100′s isn’t my dream job at all.
6. Picking the who and what.
   Luckily I enjoy working with the clients we have at Pacific City. But with all due respect, I would sure love to diversify to a more creative realm.

A few cons:

1. Financial instability.
   As I previously mentioned I am very thankful for the job that my employer pays me to do. Without a regular income my family wouldn’t be able to live the lifestyle we do. Regardless of how slow or busy the business and market may be, I get a paycheck.
2. More time with the kids.
   Yes, this one made both lists. As much as I love my children I completely understand that being a SAHP (Stay At Home Parent) or a WFHP (Work From Home Parent) can be extremely difficult to manage. As difficult as dealing with different and/or difficult co-workers…I doubt it.

So there you have it, I’m struggling to find any more cons at the moment so when I come up with a more I’ll be sure to comment them in. Does this mean it’s time for me to spread my wings and fly? Good question.