April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
FATHERLY ADVICE
Stay-at-home dad has no regrets
In the late 1990s, Mr. LaRose and his wife, Elizabeth, decided that he would be a stay-at-home dad to their three children. Mrs. LaRose - whom her husband describes as "crazy smart" - would support the family as an electrical power engineer.
Some of Mr. LaRose's coworkers from his mechanical engineering days scoffed at the decision, and many neighbors didn't understand. But he ignored the criticism and coached his children on how to respond to their classmates' questions: "Different families do different things, and we just do it this way."
As it turned out, he didn't have to worry: Friends "all love my dad," said daughter Tori, who's now 16. "They think he's 'Super-dad.'"
"I'm really very, very thankful that it worked out that way. It's really a wonderful thing that I get to spend so much time with them," the proud father told The Evangelist.
These days, Mr. LaRose said, "I guess I have two jobs": Besides cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, chauffeuring the now-teenage kids, tutoring and doing yard work and home improvement, he now works 15 to 40 hours a week as a photographer (see http://larosephoto.com).
Photography "gets [viewers] to see the beauty of people or of nature" and preserves history, he said. The career was a hobby that turned serious in 2000, when Mr. LaRose learned techniques at a Jewish studio in Atlanta, Ga., where the family lived for 11 years.
He enjoys photographing many bar and bat mitzvahs.
"It's really a big deal," he said of those rites of passage for Jewish teenagers. "I'm always honored that they would let me be a part of the day."
Events, family portraits and school pictures are Mr. LaRose's specialty; one of his regular clients is St. Helen's School in Niskayuna. The older his children get (the youngest, Timothy, is now 13), the more assignments Mr. LaRose takes on. He's also volunteered to take photos for the diocesan Vocations Team.
Mr. LaRose's work ethic has influenced his children. Katherine, 18, improved on her high school performance during her first year at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. Timothy is in advanced classes in middle school, and Tori powered through a tough honors class this year despite thoughts of quitting.
"Hard work gets you everywhere," Tori said she learned from her father. He's now teaching her to drive and helping her train for a half-marathon; he also takes his children kayaking and bicycling and attends their games and dance classes. He's found time to brew his own beer, pursue other hobbies and serve as a catechist when the children were in faith formation classes.
Mr. LaRose said his proudest moments as a father have involved "seeing my kids make good choices."
"He'll always have your back," Tori said. "He's a good man. He's made a good living. He always says it's not about the money; it's about how happy you are."
For fathers and fathers-to-be, Mr. LaRose advised: "You only get your kids full-time for a short period of time, so make the most of it. It's really important to be around.
"When you first have babies, it's crazy hard. Don't wish away any time you have. Every single phase that they go through, there's something really cool about it. You want to enjoy the good of every phase."[[In-content Ad]]
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