THE number of fathers staying home to raise their children has tripled over the last decade, proving men are more than willing to give up work to play their part in raising them. Spending quality time with your children doesn't mean staying home requires giving up your creativity or business savvy, however.

The stay-at-home routine often leads men to think of new ways to replace their income, and should be looked at as a great opportunity to do what you've actually always wanted to do instead of whatever it was you gave up to be staying home now. There may be exceptions, but I think it's safe to say staying home with the kids was a far superior choice of work for most of us.

In the time I have given up work and become a stay-at-home-dad, I have started Dadviser and my own marketing company and have several other projects in the works. While my previous 9-5 allowed some creative opportunity, it still wasn't what I wanted to do. It was what someone else wanted to do and I just enjoyed helping them out.

The need to be creative and the impulse to make money forced me to explore my desires and figure out what made me feel passionate in life. I came up with being the best father I can be, helping others to do the same and using my creativity to market small businesses. Once I had those passions figured out, what to do next came easy. The hard part was setting new goals.

We are all passionate about something, and where there's passion, there's a following. Don't let staying at home define your identity, instead, use the time to discover your identity. Find out exactly what you are good at and build a blog or website showcasing your service, product or knowledge. If you believe, others will too.

The blogosphere is rich with blogs covering just about any subject, each written by someone probably in the top 1% of people passionate in that subject. You have a 1% in you, too. Find it and become it.

Some great sites run by stay-at-home-dads:

A Man Among Mommies
Rebel Dad
Dad On A Lark Blog

Remember, there is no passion too small for you to follow. If you are passionate, go for it, and stake your claim in the blogosphere. Be an expert in you.

DAD TALK

* Have you tried starting your own blog?
* Do you think there is something you know as well or better than everyone else you know?
* Please let me know if you would like any advice on building your own blog.