To the husband of a stay-at-home mom,

I know it’s hard to be the working parent while your wife gets to stay home.

You leave five days a week in the morning and don’t get to come home until dinner, while I get to stay home with our son. My days are hectic, but I get to spend them with our boy and watch everything he does.

It’s hard for you to hear about the storytime at the library, trips to the zoo, or adventures at the beach we went on while you were working at the office.

It’s hard for you to hear about the new word he said or milestone he met while you were gone for the day.

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It’s hard to leave for the day when we’re snuggling with a blanket and reading books as you head out the door.

It’s hard to not know what you will miss while you are gone.

I want you to know, even though you aren’t here, your son asks about you all day long, and is missing you.

I know you see how our son runs up to you the second you get home from work, before you’ve even taken your coat and shoes off. You see how he takes your hand and wants to play, read, or run around with you before you’ve even sat down for dinner. But what you don’t see and hear is how many times in a day he mentions you.

I truly can’t keep track of the number of times I hear “Dada” in a day.

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I hear it as soon as you leave for work. We talk about how Dada has to go to work but will be home for dinner.

I hear it when I make him do something he doesn’t want to do—like take him to a doctor’s appointment. He wants Dada to come to the rescue.

Your name comes up when we go to the park, read books, play outside, or color pictures.

Your son is always thinking about you, even if you aren’t there.

After you’ve had a week off work for vacation, it’s always an adjustment to not have you there. We love all being together, and your son misses you extra after getting to see you all day, every day.

Know that we appreciate you working hard so I can stay home with our son, and we also miss you when you are not there.

There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t talk about you throughout the entire day.

When you’re missing out on fun things while you are at work, know that your presence is always missed, and we can’t wait for you to get home. It’s not just because Mommy needs a little break at the end of the day after being home alone all day taking care of a toddler—she also loves to see the smile on her son’s face when his daddy walks in.

Love,

Your wife