{Adrian Kulp with wife Jen and kids Ava (5), Charlie (3) and Mason (1)} / Photo Credit: Andrea Sheehan
DAD OR ALIVE .

the confessions of an unexpected stay-at-home dad.

TEXT Debbie williams & CYNDA ZURFLUH
A drian Kulp is a Clarksburg, MD, stay-at-home dad
with three kids under the age of 5. Just like any stay-at-
home parent, his days are filled with grocery shopping,
diaper duty, potty training and toddler meltdowns.

So what sets him apart from the countless other parents doling out
Cheerios at home so their spouses can maintain their careers?
10 June 2015 washingtonFAMILY.com
We admit, we weren’t rushing to glorify the stay-at-home DAD.

Why the parade when a dad stays home and moms have been doing
it in droves, forever, with no fanfare? And as such, why a feature
article in a local magazine?
Well, it turns out Adrian knows what’s up. He is a self-deprecating,



Adrian’s life pre-kids included working
with the likes of Chelsea Handler and
Adam Sandler. His life with kids is cool,
too. He has a successful blog, just produced
a reality series on A&E, and wrote a book
that’s been optioned for a TV show. He’s
figured out how to stay home with his kids
and support his wife’s career, all while
expressing his creative side and advancing
his career. It’s a stay-at-home parent’s
greatest wish.

Q & A
relatable, wildly funny guy. He has an
interesting life story and an engaging
way to tell it. That, not his gender, is what
makes him a great feature article.

The skill that has paid the biggest dividend for me is my sense
of humor. Being a stay-at-home dad for three kids has shown me
many frustrating moments. The ability to take a minute, step back
and laugh about something that would normally send me through
the roof has saved me (and my sanity) more than once.

I guess I have somewhat of a unique situation. My first priority is
as a full-time stay-at-home dad, but I’ve also been lucky enough
to publish a book with NAL/Penguin, produce “Modern Dads”
for A&E, become a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and
TODAY.com/parents, and have my blog, “Dad or Alive” optioned
for TV by Sony Pictures Television. My personal and professional
life have somehow become all twisted up and tangled together like
an old phone cord.

Have you networked with other local dads for
support? In real life, I don’t know too many other stay-at-home dads,
however, I am part of a very tight-knit private Facebook group
composed of almost 1,000 dads across the U.S. and beyond. Most
of the dads are bloggers, authors, writers, etc., and once a year I
have the chance to connect with them at a conference called “Dad
Summit 2.0,” which provides a platform for networking with other
dads, as well as brands.

What about local moms? Are you the “beau of the ball”
at parenting get-togethers, or is there a sideways
glance thing going on from moms?
LOL. I guess I find that it’s not THAT difficult to connect with other
guys my age, I’m still a huge fan of baseball, football, hiking and
fishing, but most of the time, I have a lot more in common with
the moms these days. Generally, I think moms love hearing my
perspective on parenting, they love occasionally seeing me squirm
– you’ll definitely have some naysayers, but parenting is one of the
toughest gigs out there.

Q & A
Yes, we can so relate.

I spent almost 13 years working in comedy, as an agent, an
executive for Adam Sandler and Chelsea Handler, and was also
responsible for booking the comics on “The Late Late Show with
Craig Ferguson” for a year or two.

Home Dad experiences back to the working world?
Adrian started his “Dad or Alive” blog in
2010 as a way to express himself and keep
his sanity. Reading through it, you get a
taste of this quirky dad’s witty writing and
keen sense of humor. And his love for his
family. This combination is apparent when
asked what he likes most about staying
home with his kids:
And what he likes least? “I guess I get tired
of laundry and dishes. Maybe we should
just become nudists and eat off of paper
towels.” professional experience into childrearing?
What skills do you take with you from your Stay-at-
As a backstory, Adrian grew up in
Pennsylvania and made his way to Los
Angeles after college. He worked in
the entertainment industry in comedy,
eventually at the executive level (thus the
ability to impressively name-drop). He
married Jen in 2008, and the following year
their daughter was born. When she was 10
weeks old, his contract ended, and he found
himself job-hunting. Since his wife’s career
was taking off, he became the stay-at-home
parent. In 2011, shortly after the birth of
their second child, they relocated to the
D.C. area to be closer to family on the East
Coast. “Aside from my kids, I don’t really have a
boss. We’re not on a constant deadline to
be somewhere or get something done. Of
course, we have a schedule with preschool
and T-ball, but it’s flexible most of the
time. I love getting to spend this time with
my kids – they never cease to amaze and
inspire me.”
What skills have you been able to parlay from your
What made you decide to write a blog? Did you always
want to write a book?
The blog was born out of pure necessity to not rip my hair out in
clumps AND find a creative outlet. I went from an extremely social
and active executive position in Hollywood straight into sitting in
a quiet living room with my kids, who couldn’t even talk yet. Let’s
just say if anyone had seen me walking around the house in my
robe, talking to myself like a paranoid schizophrenic, I’d probably
have been long committed and writing this from the asylum.

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