My wife makes $500,000 a year and I'm a stay-at-home dad. It's been difficult to fit in with the mom crowd.

• Ken Mac left a six-figure engineering job to become a stay-at-home dad to his four children.
• His wife earns $500,000 a year and supports the family financially.
• Despite societal judgments and missing work, he knows this is the right choice for his family.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ken Mac, a 43-year-old stay-at-home dad in the Chicago area. It's been edited for length and clarity.