Fathers! Children hold a mirror up to you and it gets ugly!

 



Fathers! Children hold a mirror up to you and it gets ugly!


It’s perhaps the most unwanted but needed gift of parenting

When you become a parent your life changes

The father's perspective is different from a mothers

A mother feels this as the child grows inside and forms attachments

The father doesn’t get to experience this


I can only speak from my perspective as a father

Fatherhood doesn’t dawn until the day your child appears

You know your child is coming beforehand

You try to prepare

The truth is you simply have no idea

The moment your first child is born

The moment you first touch them

The first time they look at you and recognise you

The world changes

One day you are single, do what you want, go where you want, when you want

The next day you are responsible for a life

A life fully dependent on you ‘being’ there


This is a revolution in your life

The dawn of a new era

The beginning of adulthood

The beginning of responsibility

The beginning of a new you


You will fall short

Your ego will not like it

You will be forced to change

You will not like all of it

There’s a honeymoon period of pure bliss

As your child grows, and probes and looks for growth, answers, understanding, knowledge

They look to you

You will not have all the answers 

Most of the answers are beyond you

You will be forced to grow or you will be miserable

They will show you all of your faults

All of your weaknesses

All of the parts of you, you try to hide from

They will discover your hidden self

They will force it into the light


No one likes this and we all respond in different ways

Some run and hide

Some refuse to change

All get angry and frustrated


How you handle this will determine not only who you are

It will determine who they become

This is the only real choice you ever need to make for your children

Chose to hide or grow

If you choose to grow you will be grateful

If you choose to grow you will become the best version of you

If you chose to grow they will be grateful

Everyone they ever meet will be grateful

Everyone in your world will be grateful

Not all of them will thank you


It’s not about thanks

It’s about growing, loving and learning

Learning with them is the best thing I ever did

They are the best teachers I have ever had

They will love you for you like no one else


Embrace it with grace

It’s the best adventure

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