Next month, Steve Trefz's life will change in a big way.

That's the date Trefz leaves his pastoring job to become a full-time stay-at-home dad to his 2-year-old son, Brady, and his yet-to-be-born second child.

"We knew that with young kids, we wanted to be home to raise them," he said. "We looked at our various situations and our gifts. … For now, it's in our best interest."

Trefz's wife, Rebecca, will continue her work as a pastor at Canyon Lake United Methodist Church.

In his years working as a pastor, Trefz said he's seen the impact that stay-at-home parents have on their children, and the impact the decision has on the parents themselves. Without exception, every person he has counseled has either regretted not spending more time with his or her kids or has been grateful for the chance to spend time with the children.

He and his wife don't want to have any of those regrets.

Mark Whitley is in quite the opposite situation from Trefz.

Whitley is back to work after staying home with his four children for several years.

"It's been an interesting trip, that's for sure," Whitley said.

Whitley and his wife, Dr. Kelly Whitley, decided to make the change in 1992 when they had three young daughters. The decision wasn't an easy one. "In the beginning, it was hard to try to decide to stay home. You kind of miss the camaraderie of work," Whitley said. "It was something that grew on me."

With his daughters now ages 21, 19, 17 and 11, Whitley has returned to an office setting, working in his wife's medical practice. Whitley doesn't regret the decision he made and thinks the kids may have benefited from having Dad with them 24/7. "I think they tend to befriend boys probably better than girls," he said. "And they're better able to handle teasing and just that rougher edge."

Considering the growing number of stay-at-home dads, Whitley is hesitant to offer any advice, despite his years of experience. Each person needs to tailor the job to his family and his personality.

"Everybody has to kind of do their own thing and learn from their mistakes," he said.