From workaholic dad to actually present dad | DadHQ

From workaholic dad to actually present dad

23h ago1 min read

Honestly I used to define myself by my job title. Made excuses about providing, about being the financial backbone. Truth is I was hiding behind work. My kids barely knew me. My wife was lonely even though I was there. Something clicked and I started saying no to stuff. Started eating lunch with my kids at school sometimes. Started being home for dinner. My income went down a bit and I'm okay with that now. I miss the ego boost I got from success but I don't miss missing my life.

6 comments188 views

Comments(6)

VVincentRegularjust now

This hits hard man. I was the same way until my oldest asked why I missed his soccer game. Realized I was trading actual moments for a paycheck. The irony is I'm probably more productive now because I'm not burning out. How did you make the transition without feeling guilty about the career shift?

TTony M.New Dadjust now

Man this is what I needed to read today. I just finished a 12 hour work day and my 6 year old asked if we could play catch. I said maybe tomorrow. Reading your post just made me realize tomorrow is never guaranteed. Thank you for putting this out there.

BBrandonNew Dadjust now

Respect for this. Takes guts to admit you got it backwards. I still struggle with this balance but at least now I know what I'm supposed to be aiming for. Did your job actually suffer or did things kind of stay the same once you refocused?

RRich B.Regular22h ago

This hits different for me right now. I'm only six months in and already catching myself trying to justify being glued to work emails. Really needed to read this today.

RReggie T.New Dad22h ago

Man, the honesty here is real. I built a tire swing in the backyard last year just to be present for mine and I swear it changed everything. Glad you figured this out.

LLucasNew Dad22h ago

Huge respect for this. Four kids and I can tell you the best stuff happens in the chaos when you're actually there for it, not hiding behind anything.