Starting Out

I recently went to lunch with a friend of mine. Dave is in his mid-20’s and he and his wife are expecting their first baby (a boy!) this fall. As we sat down to eat, he quickly made it clear why he had asked me to lunch.

“How can I be a good dad?”

Whoa. Let’s back that train up a little.

First off, your kid hasn’t even been born yet. What could I possibly prepare you for other than the making sure you take care of your wife during her pregnancy. Sure, I could tell you about cankles, small bladders, and pitocin, but you want to know about parenthood?

Second, who am I? Sure, I’ve managed to pro-create 3 times. And yes, none of my kids have committed any felonies. But I’m not perfect. I lose my temper. Our house is a mess. Some days I fear my kids have years of therapy ahead of them because of their parents. You want advice from this guy?

But as we continued to talk that day, I began to realize that there were a few things I could share. Erin and I have both been through a lot in our 6 years of parenthood. We haven’t been through it all, but what we’ve learned we’d love to share. And if we can share it with one friend, why not try to share it with a whole bunch of others?

So here we are. With a blog. I didn’t think I’d ever see the WordPress admin ever again in my life, but I’ll brave some PHP if it means helping out my friends. I hope you enjoy this little journal. I hope it helps you see your job as a parent as something to embrace and enjoy. Parenthood is scary as hell, but it’s coolest thing you’ll ever get to be a part of. It’s a wild ride. It’s an adventure. It’s an empty book just waiting for you, your spouse, and your kids to start writing scribbling all over.