I’ve got no complaints.
That’s not a humblebrag though.
It’s just that when I look around I see the home we own outright and the pleasant lawn out back that the kids have grown up on.
I also see a loving wife, three moderately terrific cats (still not sure about that Trixie character though), and a pair of remarkable young women who bear a striking resemblance to me both inside and out.
I see a laptop with many photos being edited and stories being written, all of which remind me of my accidental dream career.
We travel, we laugh, we cook and bake and dance and talk. This IS a wonderful life, Jimmy Stewart!
As fortunate as I truly am, and for as much fun as I have with my girls (and as much as I love the stuffing out of them), they do drive me absolutely bonkers at times.
I’m absolutely certain the feeling is mutual. And that’s fair.
I, however, am the only one going gray as a result.
All that leads to me to this:
FATHER’S DAY TIPS FOR NEW DADS
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO ENJOY EVERY MOMENT
Everyone will tell you to ‘enjoy every moment’ but that parenting advice is patently absurd. And thoroughly exhausting.
The truth is that most parenting moments are dull and ultimately unmemorable but…BUT!…some of the seemingly insignificant moments of fatherhood will end up being the most remarkable moments of your life. So be as aware as possible, be present in their lives, and be ready to be jolted by the warm glow of love because sometimes that stuff comes out of left field with no warning. And THOSE are the moments you will enjoy more than anything you’ve experienced in your life. Those are the moments you will want to remember forever.
START A DAD BLOG TODAY
I say this not because you may end up getting paid or flown around for modeling jobs with your kids — although you might! — but you should start a dad blog because you’ll slowly begin to forget stuff as your kids get older. It happens to the best of us.
You’ll forget the funny way your daughter would mispronounce Rice Krispies. You’ll forget that first trip to the beach with your baby. You’ll forget the way it felt inside the first time she replied, “I love you too, daddy”. We don’t think we will, but we’ll forget.
Our memories get filled up with stuffed animal names (SO MANY NAMES!) and lunchmeat sandwich preferences (wait, you like tomato but no lettuce with honey mustard, right? (Oh crap, it’s mayo not mustard!). And so much more from fatherhood life. So don’t beat yourself up about it.
Having a dad blog is a good repository for these kinds of facts, figures, stories, memories, photos and even if no one else ever reads it, you’ll be able to dial up the url in a decade to be transported back. Also, writing about your thoughts and feelings as a dad is an amazing exercise in reflection and considering your foreverwords before you utter them aloud.
And heck, you never know, maybe whacky stuff WILL start to happen for you in due time! I’m living proof that anything is possible with a blog! I mean, heck, I’m being paid to write this! At the very least, you’ll have a thriving new community to join.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT GOING GRAY
Personally, I think I look hotter than ever with my salt-n-pepper head of hair and beard. Of course, um, that doesn’t matter at all because I’m happily married but I feel so good feeling good about my appearance. Ya know?
I use the Just For Men Control GX to press pause on the graying because I like the way it looks right now (I mean, look at my gorgeous salt-n-pepper hair up there!!) so you have no need to stress over your changing look as a dad. Yeah, kids make you go gray but kids also make you young again — fatherhood is strange that way! Check out the Just For Men Autostop Formula and have one less thing to fret about, dad.
*OWTK partnered with Just For Men and their Autostop Formula to tell this story. All opinions expressed above are honest and unbiased, as always. Fatherhood is amazing and I really do look hot with my gray and brown mop top.
