Imagine how different your childhood might have been had your father been the primary caregiver instead of your mother. Would it have been different? Would you be different? There are increasing numbers of families for which every day is Father's Day.

JIM MCGAW COOKS AND CLEANS. AND HE'S NOT JUST "HELPING OUT." THIS IS JIM'S FULL-TIME JOB.

Jim McGaw: "'Oh, you're babysitting your 1-year-old today.' I get that a lot, the babysitting crack, and my initial reaction is ‘It’s called parenting, not babysitting!’"

HE STAYS AT HOME WITH HIS KIDS WHILE HIS WIFE BRINGS HOME THE BACON. BUT HE BRISTLES AT THE THOUGHT OF BEING CALLED "MR. MOM."

Jim McGaw: "The Mr. Mom tag makes men seem less masculine, and we still want to hold on to masculinity and be parents at the same time."

THOSE THINGS SHOULDN'T COMPETE WITH ONE ANOTHER, BUT JIM ISN'T THE ONLY ONE WRESTLING WITH BALANCE, IMAGE AND REALITY. HIS WIFE MICHELLE BELIEVES THIS IS BEST FOR THEIR FAMILY, BUT STILL HAS MOMENTS WHEN SHE QUESTIONS THEIR CHOICE.

Michelle McGaw: "I was more concerned about how people on the outside would view a man at home with his children."

HOW MUCH SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT CULTURAL NORMS? -- A QUESTION UNITED METHODIST LARRY MALONE SAYS PARENTS HAVE TO ANSWER IF THEY ARE CHOOSING TO REVERSE ROLES.

Larry Malone: “If you’re considering doing something that has the potential to really change the dynamics of the home, be careful. Because a failure, a significant failure, in the home is really a catastrophic failure that has great impact on not only the partners, the married couple, but (also on) their children.”

MALONE SAYS FAMILIES SHOULD HAVE A PLAN B IN CASE THE AT-HOME DAD SETUP FAILS.

“What if it doesn’t work? What if it seems like the marriage is threatened, or the children seem to be having problems as a result of this? There needs to be a backup plan and I would think that would need to be a major consideration as you go into this.”

EVEN THOUGH AT-HOME FATHERHOOD BRINGS MANY CHALLENGES; THERE ARE ALSO GREAT REWARDS.

Larry Malone: “A positive message, I would think, would be that you’re making a statement to your children that they come first. And that you’re willing to be flexible in dealing with the situation that you’ve been dealt with in order to meet their needs.”

Jim McGaw: "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm milking it for everything it’s worth. I'm going to look back to those years and say what a wonderful life I've had."

United Methodist Don Knowlton shares that same sentiment. He chose to leave the work force to spend more time with his daughter Kennedy. His wife’s career was progressing nicely, and they didn’t want their daughter spending 10 hours a day in someone else’s care.

The decision took over a year to financially get there and for me to settle down to stay home five days a week.

The biggest surprise is the increase in responsibility I’ve had, compared to being a teacher. It was tough being a teacher, but staying at home with my daughter is a 24/7 career. I was really surprised about the things I had to do, day-in and day-out, compared to going to work and dropping her off at daycare. Now, you know, I had a 2-year-old clinging to my leg all day, and nightly, too. So that was the biggest surprise. The biggest reward is the time I spend with my daughter, just the look in her eyes when I teach her something new. When we’re out and looking at birds or talking about leaves or just counting different things, and just the joy, that’s really the biggest reward. It’s a give and take, but between me and my wife, our biggest belief is that children are a privilege, not just a responsibility, and that’s what makes it so much better.

The best compliment I could receive as a dad is anyone noticing that Kennedy is the No. 1 priority in my life. And I believe that’s what I’m doing, is being the best father and best husband I can be to my family. We just found out a couple weeks ago that my wife’s pregnant, so we’re looking at five more years of job security (laughs).

Intro Prison Dads:

Father's Day is one of those junctures at which, if you are one, you can't help assessing whether you're giving all your children deserve. Or, if you have one, what kind of father he is?

Many fathers spend a lot of time away. Maybe it's really necessary, maybe not. Or, maybe it's not his choice any more because he made too many bad choices. The children in this story don't get a goodnight kiss from Dad each night, but that doesn’t change the fact that they still need him.

Prison Dads story:

"The Three Billy Goats Gruff ..."

FOUR-YEAR-OLD JASMINE LOVES BOOKS AND THE SOUND OF HER FATHER'S VOICE.

"Once upon a time ...”

BUT JASMINE’S DAD CANNOT READ WITH HER BECAUSE HE’S SERVING 10 YEARS FOR MANSLAUGHTER.

"Oh, it is I."

IRV WILLIAMS WAS LOCKED UP RIGHT AFTER JASMINE WAS BORN. EVERY TWO WEEKS, SHE AND HER BROTHER JONATHAN GO WITH THEIR MOM TO HOPE HOUSE IN WASHINGTON TO TELECONFERENCE WITH THEIR FATHER AT AN OHIO PRISON.

"Hi, sweetheart ...”

Bill Barnes, retired United Methodist minister: “It’s almost like your love muscles are being threatened and weakened.”

RETIRED UNITED METHODIST MINISTER BILL BARNES HAS VISITED MEN IN PRISON, AND SAYS LOVE CAN BE SEEN AS A WEAKNESS IN SUCH A PLACE. STILL, HE INSISTS THAT PROGRAMS LIKE THE ONE AT HOPE HOUSE ARE THE ONLY WAY TO HELP INMATES REFORM.

“I was told that 50 percent of inmates have nobody see them in the course of a year. All these things can help to humanize and, therefore, condition the prisoner for release.”

Irv Williams reading poem: "We are sorry we can't do all the special things that fathers and children do. I can not begin to imagine the pain you are being forced to deal with because of me."

THREE MILLION CHILDREN ARE CARRYING THE BURDEN OF THEIR PARENTS’ PRISON SENTENCES.

Carol Fennelly / Hope House: "We believe that if a father is in prison, he doesn't stop being a dad. And in reverse, if a father is in prison, his children do not stop needing a dad."

EXPERTS SAY THESE KIDS ARE 50 PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO SERVE TIME THEMSELVES.

Carol Fennelly / Hope House: "They are either going to grow up as whole and productive people because we have enabled them to have relationships with the parents who are important to them and who encourage them, or we don't.”

Bill Barnes: “All of us understand what it’s like to be isolated. And anything that says ‘Believe in loving; believe in human relationships; believe that life is worthwhile.’ I think any of those reminders are important.”

President Bush signed a bill earlier this year ear marking $25 million dollars for specifically helping organizations and faith groups to support children of prisoners.

On the next UMTV web brief, United Methodist bishops seek help on the hill.