Being a Dad

 Dedicated to my brother and the millions of dads out there who are strong enough to break the classic mould of what it means to be a dad.

I spent the month of May in Melbourne, Australia with my brother and his beautiful family. Like any household, they have their rhythm. They have figured out who does what to survive the chaos of two working parents and two young boys. Some days are easy, but on some days it seems like there are just not enough hours to get everything done. Yet, magically, in the end, it does (well kind of). In large part, this is possible because they have been bold enough to break the mold of traditional parenting.

In my brother's family, it is not just his wife who bathes the kids or reads them to sleep. He does it too. It is not she alone who kisses them when they fall and scrape their knees, he does it too. It is not just her who plays peek-a-boo with them, he does it too. And it is not he alone who protects, works, and sets the rules, she does all that too.

For so long dads have had to live with the expectation that they have to be the strong, stern, disciplinarians. They have been afraid to bring out their fun side for fear of being perceived as weak and vulnerable. We have not given them the space to be the sensitive and loving caregivers they can be. This is all rather sad because when we break that mold it is magical!

Men who can take a leap of faith and choose to be playmates and parents rather than just being protectors and providers, discover a side of life that no one should miss. When they allow themselves to roll on the grass, cook a meal, bathe their child, or rock them to sleep, they discover that being a dad is not about choosing strength over sensitivity. It is about discovering that strength comes from sensitivity. They discover the full joy of being a dad.