Fatherhood is ego-bruising work. Isn’t it weird? I KNOW that I’m an expert but my kids make me FEEL like a complete novice.
You manage a team at work. You exceed expectations. But this morning, you could barely manage to get the kids to school on time.
The kids I counseled in my private practice told me that I was easy to talk to. But the feedback from my own kids wasn’t so rosy.
One day I would hear, “don’t therapize me!” when I was about to give them feedback. Another day, “Don’t just uh-huh me. You’re this great therapist! Tell me what to do.”
I was just working hard to listen!
Fatherhood delivers one blow after another to your ego. It can be rough.
Disoriented dads ask me, “When does this phase end?”
My short answer: move your goalposts.
If you are doing it right, parenting SHOULD be disorienting sometimes. If your ego needs more atta-boys, go master a hobby or find a team sport.
Fatherhood is a constant learning journey.
Encountering new, bigger challenges is a mark of your success, not failure.
photo credit: Ashton Bingham/Unsplash
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