The Present Provider

In this episode, we are talking about a role that is often misunderstood, sometimes undervalued, but arguably the most high-stakes job a man can take: The Stay-at-Home Dad.Joining us to share his journey and his 'why' is Paul Granger. Paul has navigated the highs and lows of stay-at-home fatherhood and has emerged with a powerful message for every dad who feels like he’s bucking the trend.To connect with Paul Granger or learn more about his ministry, visit: https://www.wheredidyouseegod.com/Special thanks to Smile Online Course & Books for sponsoring this episode. To learn more visit: https://thefatherhoodchallenge--smileteenskills.thrivecart.com/social-career-skills-accelerator/Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrhttps://zencastr.com/?via=thefatherhoodchallenge00:06.07Jonathan GuerreroAt every backyard barbecue or professional networking event, the same question inevitably comes up. So what do you do? For decades, the correct masculine answer has been tied to the job title, a salary bracket, or a corporate ladder. We've been conditioned to believe that a father's primary contribution to his family is the paycheck he brings through the door.00:29.30Jonathan GuerreroBut in 2026, the definition of a provider is shifting. Dads are realizing that while a bank account provides for a child's needs, a father's presence provides for the child's soul.00:42.10Jonathan GuerreroToday, we're talking about a role that is often misunderstood, sometimes undervalued, but arguably the most high stakes job that a man can take. It's the stay at home dad.00:55.34Jonathan Guerrerowe're driving We're diving into we're dive into why being the home front leader isn't a career break. It's a strategic investment. We're exploring how to navigate the ego shift of leaving the traditional workplace, how to handle the social side eye, and why men who are home with their kids should be the proudest guys in the room.01:16.79Jonathan GuerreroThis isn't just about childcare. It's about intentional legacy, which we will explore in just a moment. So don't go anywhere.01:33.30Jonathan GuerreroGreetings, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me and my son and co-host, Isaac. Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Father Challenge. Joining us to share his journey and his why is Paul Granger.01:45.78Jonathan GuerreroPaul has navigated the highs and lows of stay-at-home fatherhood and has emerged with a powerful message for every dad who feels like he's bucking the trend. Paul, welcome to the program.01:57.82Paul GrangerIt is great to be here.02:01.58Jonathan GuerreroLet's start here. When you made the first transition to being at home, what was the hardest part of your old identity to let go?02:09.78Paul GrangerThat is a good question. i think The reality is, is there is this set in mindset of how life is supposed to work. And when before the transition, my wife and I were living into it. All right. We have a mortgage. We have bills.02:27.96Paul GrangerWe have to do this, that and the other. I had been working in ministry. My wife had been a teacher. So neither of us had ever made a lot of money, but we were getting by. And when I unexpectedly lost my job, I found myself in this very difficult space where people were telling me, you need to find a job right now because you need money in order to survive. And that's logical.02:50.04Paul GrangerBut i found this opportunity to lean into something very unexpected and untraditional. I've been full-time volunteer ministry since losing my job. So that was almost, that was a little over seven and a half years ago.03:06.01Paul GrangerAnd when I stepped into it, there was no guidebook. And I had to own the reality that whoever I was before, however I functioned, you know, getting a paycheck every two weeks, working at nine to five, being able to tell people clearly what it is I do, what it is I don't do without any side eyes. I was going have to be willing to let that go because where we were in life, ah it was...03:33.98Paul Grangerimportant for me to be there for my family. It was important for me to be flexible, particularly when my wife got back into full-time teaching. For anybody that knows teachers, you know that in order to take off for work, you have to do even more work. And so it is not easy for a teacher to be able to Be home if a kid is sick, take them to the doctors. And so for many years now, that has been the role that I've had to sit in04:05.72Paul GrangerAnd what's what I found really amazing is that the hard moments are when I think about what other people might think of me, what other people might say, what they when I have had people lean into that, well, the husband's supposed to be the provider, you know you need to take care of your family.04:25.94Paul Grangerah but the But the reality is, I have been able to be present in my kids' lives in ways that I never thought were possible.04:36.22Paul GrangerBecause prior to the shift, eight hours of my day at least were locked out ...