Fatherhood is a vocation, not a metric
Featured Dad: James Haynes​
I’ve only been a dad for 14 months, so take this with a bucket of salt.
One thing I’ve learned over the last year is that taking care of children has some of the same properties as compound interest.
The more time in the market, so to speak, the more time I spend with them on a day-to-day basis, the more that compounds over time.
I can’t just focus on getting quality time with them. Instead, I have to have quantity time with them in order to have quality time.
That can come not necessarily through pure volume, like spending whole days every single day with them, but also through spending three hours a day, every single day, 365 days a year.
That does tend to compound and result in a tighter bond, I think.
QUOTABLE
“I don’t think about child-rearing in terms of return on investment. I think about it almost like a vocation.”
Ezra Klein, NY Times columnist (paraphrased)
I don’t know if Ezra used that word “vocation” exactly, but that really struck home to me.
If it were just about productivity, then having children would not be very productive in this time in the world.
Maybe it was in a different time, but right now it’s less so.
Instead, I think of it more as a vocation and a calling that has intangible rewards, including the love and affection of a child, which is something I’m very grateful for.
JAMES RECOMMENDS
This is pretty random but I actually got more into genealogy over the last year since my wife and I named our son after my Polish grandfather.
It got to the point where I actually hired a genealogist (his name is Ryan Johnson and you can find him at www.rjjgenealogy.com).
He’s been awesome to work with, and as someone who was named after an ancestor myself, it’s really been cool to learn about my family history that way.
BOOK: Armin Brott’s New Father series
These books have been really helpful to me over the last year-plus walking through babies 101. Some of the information may be a bit dated, but generally a very helpful resource.
SHAMELESS PLUG
Nothing to plug, but if you want occasional marketing posts, you can find me on Linkedin.
FROM KC:
Special thanks to James for today's issue!
And thank YOU for supporting the 30 Days of Dads series.
If you enjoyed this issue, please:
- Forward it to a friend, or
- Send them to 30DaysofDads.com.
And remember...
Move your body.
Clear your mind.
Repeat.
Keep up the good work!
-KC
DAD JOKE 🌲
Son: Why do you always look at family trees?
Dad: Because I’m rooting for our ancestors!