An all-action dad from the Black Country has swapped his life as a commando – to become a full-time nanny.
Father-of-three Neil Sinclair, is getting stuck into writing a military-style survival guide for distressed dads and nervous mums. And he admits there have been times he has wished he was back in trenches, as he gets to grips with the duties involved in being a stay-at-home father.
The 37-year-old, of Wednesbury, honoured a deal with his wife when they moved back to England, with the couple agreeing if one of them got a job first, then the other would be a full-time carer to their children.
Now the former military man is using his experience in child care by launching child-minding service Commando Kids.
Neil and his Willenhall-born wife Tara were living in America when their first two children were born, where he worked as a UN security guard. But they moved back home to be closer to their families, making a new home in Park Lane, Wednesbury.
“I’ve been a stay-at-home father for six years,” he said. As well as six years experience as a commando with 59 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers, based in Plymouth, which included serving in Iraq and the Arctic circle, Neil is also a PE teacher and now an Ofsted-approved childminder. And he believes all his experience has helped him prepare for the dirty jobs of being a parent – even changing nappies.
“That holds no fear for me,” he said. “When I was in the army you used to have to carry everything on your back. But when you are at the supermarket and you’ve got all the kids with you then it seems easier to be skiing down a mountain with a full pack.”
Neil said he has only had the occasional raised eyebrow when people heard he was a full-time dad, but he added most men did not realise how hard it could be. “It’s a hard job,” he said. “Being a commando is a lot easier than being a stay-at-home dad.”
Neil will now put his years of experience into a guidebook for other parents, which he and Tara plan to write themselves. He will be running a lot of his services from Old Park Primary School’s new children’s centre, due to open in June, in Wednesbury.
2 Comments
when i became ill my hubby had to give up work practically overnight to care not only for me but also our four children and bless him what a fantastic job he has done- and all without any support. as a society we tend to think of women as the care givers but i would defy anyone to find a better parent than my hubby. you go fellas!!!
I was in the U.S. Army and I want you to know it is good preparation for being a stay at home dad. I never realized how much planning, packing, and sleepless night I would have. I think I got more sleep in the Army. It is good to see more men step up as stay at home dads. I founded a group in Arizona (Tucson Stay at Home Dads) for the support of other guys in this field.