Before I even became pregnant, I knew that having a baby would change my relationship with my husband. I didn’t know exactly how, but I knew things would be different. I expected to be more tired and have less time with him because I would have to care for a helpless tiny human that depended on me to feed and care for him. I didn’t expect my love for him to change the way it did. Watching him interact with our son has made me fall in love with him in a different way than I did when it was just the two of us (Que Will Smith song….good luck trying to get that song out of your head now! You’re welcome!).
Raising a kid deepens your character and I have watched that first hand in my husband. You learn to be more patient, to enjoy the little things, to be more selfless than you ever imagined you could be (on some days anyway) and to rely on God more than perhaps you had in the past. I’ve seen evidence of these things as my husband cares for and raises our son. It’s awesome to watch him love him. My favorite moments are when he gets down on the floor and plays trains or builds legos or reads books to him. My son eats that up and wants to be just like Daddy.
Since having a child changed my view of him, I thought I’d ask my husband what changed for him and how he feels about being a father. Below is my little interview with him:
What is your favorite thing about being a Father?
- When our son shows me affection spontaneously. (I don’t need to ask or fish for it.) He unashamedly loves being around me.
- When he (sort of) sings along to “Jesus Loves Me” before we put him to bed.
How has being a Father changed you?
- I waste time in a lot smaller chunks.
- It forces me to be more patient (I can see how much he still has to learn, and how much being tired or hungry influences his behavior.)
- I want to be a good role model…someone he can truly look up to.
What’s the hardest thing about being a Father?
- Realizing how I use my time and money, and how my goals for the future don’t just effect me, they effect my family as well.
What surprised you the most about becoming a dad?
- The level of pride/joy of watching your kid learning new things. It’s as fulfilling as you learning it yourself.
Who do you look to for Fatherhood advice?
- My Dad
- Cousins & Brother-in-Laws who have older kids than mine
How do you feel about the upswing in culture promoting involved Dads?
- I love it! Advertisers realized the “dumb dad” doesn’t appeal to the millennial generation. We don’t see being dead-beats as something to aspire to.
Today is Father’s Day, so let that be a good reason to let the Fathers in your life know that you appreciate them. Tell them how it has impacted you (whether it’s your Dad or Step-Dad, your child’s Dad, your Grandfather or someone else entirely that has played a Father figure in your life). They might not realize how much you respect them for the way they have carried the responsibility of Fatherhood.
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