My Daughter Turning 3
Rapunzel and Fatherhood
Rapunzel and Fatherhood
Camila and I watched the Rapunzel movie “Tangled”. If you pay attention there are many things you can take away from these movies. Here I saw the lengths that Mother Gothel would go to so that she can stay young forever. From finding a magic flower to finding her magic within Rapunzel. Its a telling narrative for me. Time is never stopping and is against us. From the moment we are born it’s a race towards the end.
Today is my daughter’s third birthday. Spirits and energy are very high here at home. For those of you who have kids, I think you know this feeling. She’s an only child so we give her all we have and she doesn’t have to share it with anyone. Our celebration of another year is simple, a trip to the zoo followed by some sort of cup cake and ice cream combination.
Parents, do you ever just stare into the eyes of your child? Because I do. What I see, feel and hear changes, daily. Sometimes I see a child that is a pain in the ass, I’ll be honest. Most times I see a beautiful toddler, full of love, compassion, laughter, joy and a free spirit.
And to think I did not want kids at a point in life. If I knew having her would have been so awesome, I would have done it sooner. I’ve been a stay at home dad since February, 2022. To learn more about that choice, check out this blog I wrote about why I did.
Why I Quit My Job To Be a Stay-at-home Father
And its follow up…below.
Being a stay-at-home dad is the best decision I ever made in my life. When you have a child or children you suddenly feel a sense of responsibility that nothing else in life gives you, prepares you for or warns you about. Coming home to stay with her full time allows for me to embrace that responsibility better, to bond better and gives me some time with her before she hits the education system and gets surrounded by other influences.
Our daughter is turning 3. That means we only have 15 more years to teach her character, work ethic, the ability to think for herself and life lessons that will come along the way.
Someone told me when she was up all night at the age of 1 that I’ll miss that time, and they were right. I miss it for many reasons.
But there is no better time than now. Not living in the past or thinking about the future. Now.
This means we have another 7–10 years before we aren’t cool anymore.
Before a friend will upset her.
Before someone she likes breaks her tiny heart (and as a result mine).
Before so many other things no parent is ready for; emotionally or otherwise.
[Camila, if you ever read this one day, I want you to know that you have taken my whole heart and you’ve changed my life. I cannot describe the love I have for you. However, by the time you do read this, I hope you can start to understand. Happy birthday and I love you deeply. You are already our magic!]
Dan Roman is a Husband, Father, and writer that releases a daily blog. A quick read on money, marriage, parenting, self-improvement, development and his thoughts. Dan is also Founder/Creator of Roman Solutions, a Personal Finance Firm that currently provides coaching and education.
To connect with Dan visit: https://linktr.ee/bydanroman
Or by email : financialdifference@danromansolutions.com