DAD OR ALIVE.

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

Q & A
I needed a way to vent about my transition into being a
stay-at-home dad. As far as the book goes, I think I just got
really lucky – the right people were reading my posts at the
right time, and I’m just extremely grateful that I got that
opportunity. Do you ever worry about your kids growing up,
reading the blog posts and being upset with what
you’ve shared about them?
Great question. Only recently, as my daughter is almost 6,
have I started to think about privacy, the web and at what
point I’m crossing the line with what I share. I’m sure that my
kids will go through a stage where they could be embarrassed
about some of the things I’ve written about or posted online,
but in the end, I hope they appreciate how much of their lives
that I’ve documented, the great times we’ve shared and the
strong relationship they have with their father.

How do you think stay-at-home moms and dads are
seen by those who have not braved those trenches?
What’s the biggest misconception?
I certainly don’t speak for everyone, but I kind of feel like
parents who haven’t “braved the trenches” of being a primary
caregiver tend to think it’s easy. Big deal, you give them some
Goldfish and throw on a movie – BAM – done deal. Totally
not true. I don’t get paid enough (kidding) for the diarrhea
blowouts, teething, potty-training, biting, screaming, yelling
and deli-line tantrums.

What has surprised you most about parenthood?
I never thought I was capable of having patience. Parenting
has broken me.

What does your family like to do for fun in the
area? We love visiting the local orchards, going to the state parks
and taking the Metro down to the museums. We also just
picked up a 16-foot fishing boat, and I’m sure that we’ll be
exploring some lakes and getting our picnic on.

What are your favorite local restaurants/Date-
night spots?
Wait, was this question meant for me? At the moment, we’re
big fans of any restaurant that will tolerate us. It’s usually a
Mexican restaurant, Chik-Fil-A or Buffalo Wild Wings because
they have game tablets for the kids.

My wife and I recently concocted an idea to have a date night
once or twice a month – I miss good food. I miss being able to
eat without having spaghetti thrown in my hair. If there are
any restaurants out there in the D.C. area that want an honest
shout out – send me a tweet at @dad_or_alive – you’ll probably
get the best review ever.

We have more with Adrian Kulp on our website — visit
washingtonFAMILY.com to read the full interview. For even more
“Dad or Alive” fun, visit Adrian’s blog at dadoralive.com.

Photo Credit: Ciji Ann Photography
12 June 2015 washingtonFAMILY.com