Dadding - A Worthy, Magical Career Adventure

Being present for your kids fuels fun both personally and professionally

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“What do you want to be when you “grow up"?” The age old question people ask. Family, teachers, and acquaintances used to ask me ALL THE TIME. A doctor? A lawyer?

Growing up the answer varied. Fighter Pilot. Astronaut. Baseball Player. Golfer. Architect. Dad.

As an adult, the answer has varied too. Golf Course Superintendent. Auditor. Finance Manager. Brand Manager. Strategy Director. Innovation Director. Entrepreneur. Sales & Marketing Director. Writer. Dad.

But, there has been one constant. Being a dad. I’ve always wanted to be a dad. Growing up, I always itched to be a dad. When I started working, all I could think about in the background was how could I be both a career professional and a Dad.

Today, I am my kids childcare option at least one day every two weeks. In the past that has been more. But, it took a disorienting moment to take on this role as Director of Daddy Daycare.

Covid Led to Double Down

My wife and I planned to put our kids in day care full time. Then, Covid struck. This century’s big plague was a catalyst. It forced us to consider other options. We decided to establish Daddy Daycare two days per week. My in-laws would hang with our daughter the other three days.

Covid was pretty horrible. Yet, I don’t think my own personal Daddy Daycare with my daughter would have existed without Covid. Before Covid, I’d thought about working a shorter week so I could spend more time with my future kid. But, they were just thoughts. I’m not sure I would have taken action.

Now, I have Daddy Daycare with both my daughters every other week. It’s magical.

A Magical Adventure

Hanging with my girls is pure delight. It’s tough, of course. They are messy. Sometimes they are picky eaters. They don’t always listen. They hit. They’re kids. It comes with the territory.

Yet, they are pure, youthful magic. They inject vitality into my life. I am better because of them. Full-time “Dadding” helps me expand, fuel, and progress my personal career adventures. Here’s how…

Fuels Creative Problem Solving -

One of my core objectives with them is to have as much fun as possible without resorting to TV time. I love TV. TV is “ok.” But, it can be a creativity killer, in my opinion. TV is called the Boob Tube for good reason.

To avoid TV, we flex our activity muscles. We build pillow forts. We sled inside the house, safely of course. We do horsey rides. We build fairy gardens in the backyard. It’s fun! Keeping up with their desire for new activities causes you to flex your mind.

Plus, it helps me in my “main job” as a Sales & Marketing leader. Creativity and innovation are part of what I do! Like any skill, practice and repetition are key. Playing with my girls one day a week makes me more creative. This transfers to my work. I can enthusiastically ideate on anything from new product ideas to creative campaigns to social media content. Daddy Daycare makes me better.

Practices Empathy -

Another core objective is to be an understanding husband and dad. Men traditionally have not done the childcare heavy lifting. We’ve relied on our wives, nannies, babysitters, parents, TVs, you name it. That’s changing. Men are taking on more of the child rearing roles. There is still a massive imbalance that may never change. Nonetheless, I have a greater appreciation for working and “stay-at-home” mothers.

But there’s more. Being on point for a full day or two, outside of weekends, encourages greater understanding of my children. While I’m in charge, I want to be fair. Authoritarian parenting ain’t cool. Leading two little people who can have Chernobyl like emotions and desires is really hard. I have an agenda, some paths forward. But, they don’t give a darn. Thus, I have learned to recognize the emotion or desire and then help guide the right way. Sometimes I realize what I’m pitching is silly and there is no reason to say “no.”

Again, this helps in my day job. Daddy Daycare teaches me empathy, understanding, and listening skills. It teaches me to truly hear what my kids need or want. This is critical as an employee, but even more critical in identifying new products and new marketing campaigns. You need to know people’s delights and frustrations. You need to connect. Dadding delivers again!

Builds an Important Future -

Last, my wife and I are building future contributors to society. We want to set our kids up for success. This requires presence. Not only from Mom, but also from Dad. Kids with present dad’s are more likely to excel and to avoid high risk behaviors. Daddy Days sound like a great idea to me.

I’d like to believe that I’m setting my kids up for their own future successful career adventures. We live in a volatile, fast-moving world. Success in the future will require adaptability, calculated risk taking, and strong emotional management. I’d like to believe that our bonding and playful building will help.

This applies to me as well. I plan to work for a while, yet. I want to have meaningful career adventures. By taking care of them, I’m taking care of myself. Apparently Dad’s brains evolve too. We experience ‘experience-induced brain plasticity’. This happens when you learn a new language. Thus, I hope that Daddy Daycare is fueling my own positive development.

More Dad’s Are Doing It

I’ve seen more and more Dad’s stepping up. This post was inspired by a post from another father on LinkedIn. I’d be remiss if all we talked about is pursuing some climb up a corporate ladder, perpetual yet purposeful job exploration, or starting company after company. There is so much more to fueling career adventures. For me, being an involved dad is both selfless and selfish. I want to bond with my kids for them and for me. There are many benefits. I am a better innovator, writer, strategist, marketer, and dad because of my role as Director of Daddy Daycare.

Thanks for reading!

Paul G. Fisher

The Career Adventurer