Wings ePress Category:  Mainstream Publisher: Wings ePress, Inc. Type: Fiction Pages: 191 Copyright: June 1, 2007 ISBN-13: 9781597058841 Desperate House Dad is a hilarious, feel-good story that delves into the day-to-day trials and tribulations of raising children, but all from the unique perspective of a stay-at-home dad. Desperate House Dad a hilarious, feel-good story about a family’s decision to have the father stay at home to care for the children. It also touches upon the social stigma attached to being a stay-at-home dad, as well as the mom’s difficult emotions in having to miss out on being a stay-at-home mom. The journey begins with a day care incident that pushes the young family into the tough decision of having one of the parents stay at home to raise their children. For financial reasons, the father is the one who decides to stay at home, thus beginning the tough transition from working on his career to caring for their children. It then delves into the reaction from family and friends since there is still a social stigma attached to being a stay-at-home dad. It then follows the family through the day-to-day grind of watching one child, their decision to have another, the birth of their second child, caring for two children, and the difficulty of going back into the workplace after nine years of staying at home. It also adds slide splitting humor into the decision of buying a mini-van, joining a stay-at-home dad’s club, taking a child to church , visiting the pediatrician, getting the kids’ pictures taken, and having a vasectomy. I am sure that, after having read Desperate House Dad, readers will have laughed, cried, and related to all the experiences shared in raising children. Excerpt One Friday night, during the very end of her pregnancy, my wife comes up to me calmly as I’m watching a ballgame and says, “My water broke.” Being the detective that I am, I say, "Don't worry, I'll get you a new one," as I make my way to the fridge to get her another bottle of water. Then it hit me what’s really happened. I don't know if it’s the Evil Death Stare my wife is giving me, or the fact that I’m now standing in two feet of water in the living room. Either way, I increase the Baby Alert status to DEFCOM1, which means it’s time for me to run around like a chicken with its head cut off while my wife screams in agony. After about 1000 phone calls to find a babysitter for Steve, I still haven't found anyone, or at least anyone who doesn't have a life and is home on a Friday night and actually sober. Finally we get hold of a neighbor who so graciously offers to watch him so that my wife doesn't have to give birth in the two feet of water in the living room. It’s now about 12:00AM and we are off to the hospital. The problem is that we live about forty minutes away from the hospital, and it’s pitch black out and what seems like a Tropical Storm is passing by. Add that stress plus my wife yelling and swearing at the top of her lungs at the very painful contractions she’s having, all the while digging her nails deeper into the dashboard, and I’m also on edge. I start to wonder if Armor All can actually take fingernail marks out of the dash when the screaming is getting unbearable. At one point during the race to the hospital, Jenny turns to me and yells, "Why the hell have you stopped?!" I don't know if it’s the torrential rain, terrible screams, or lack of sleep, but I, against my better judgment, state, "Honey, I think cops tend to frown upon people going through red lights." I then go on to explain that, in fact, State law explicitly states that running red lights is not only quite dangerous, but could result in a stiff penalty and possible jail time. I think I make a convincing argument, and am quite proud of myself, when I turn to look at my wife again. What I saw and heard next is difficult to describe, but just think of that lady in The Exorcist when her head turned 360 degrees and she started to speak in tongues. Just the thought of that still makes me cringe, so at that point I decide to just floor it, to hell with the consequences.

A Must Read!
DESPERATE HOUSE DAD reads like real life, but is actually fictional. It's a story about a man, Paul Logan, who decides to be a stay-at-home dad, while his wife, Jenny, continues to work and support their family. Through diaper changing, boredom, lack of adult company, doctor visits, and constant ribbing from the male species for being the primary care giver, Paul trudges on to welcome another child. At times, Paul's patience is stretched to the limit. But the unforgettable moments, such as when his youngest son takes his first steps, are what make the entire stay-at-home dad experience worthwhile and satisfying for him. The book is sometimes over the top and quite frankly, one of the funniest books I've ever read. For those brave men out there who have chosen the path of the stay-at-home dad, this is a must read. For those brave women who have trusted their husbands to stay at home with their children, this is a must read, too.

- Patricia Parkinson