So Mark Pollard has written most excellently about being a Dad. And as it's Man Week it would be churlish not to write about my own experiences of impending fatherhood.
Basically it's all a bit scary. And oddly detached. The Mum, she's feeling it. That child is an overpowering biological reality for her. For the Dad, not so much. Not our insides being rearranged by a baby. Not our hormones driven from pillar to post by a new life.
For men it's all a little more... conceptual. They say the two events that propel you into adulthood are the death of a parent and the birth of a child. And they are right.
So that's it. You are a grown-up. Which frankly isn't so terrible. I've been a grown up for a long time. Not a particularly successful grown up but an adult nonetheless. And I'm ready to be old. Because the older you get, the less you have to worry about what other people think. I now have the freedom to be an embarrassing Dad. Uncool in every way.
My child has given me this wonderful gift: adulthood. A role of both short-term necessity and ultimate obsolescence. I need not be the oldest teenager in town. Call that music? Hah!
Thank you.
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Come on lads. Blog it like you mean it.
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13 comments:
You're going to be a dad?
Hey congrats Matt!
No need to grow up. Think of it as a rebirth. Go out and buy that Thomas the Tank Engine train set you've been eyeing up for years ;-) And congratulations, now that you've gone blogpublic with your news!
Ta Jaz!
JD - Thomas the Tank Engine? How far could this be taken? "Happy 7th Birthday, I got you this Coopers beer making kit!"
I see you are getting the hang of this...
Awesome Matt. A little known fact that most one year olds love radio controlled helicopters and six is a perfectly acceptable age to learn to drive a go-cart...
KIDS.. first we are one then we make one and boy what a ride! Kids change ur life... once you pass GO through the first 12weeks!it becomes the best thing in the world. They give u a reality check every day and make u appreciate the simple things like, laughing, rolling, sitting and walking.. etc..so the story goes.A totally amazsing exp that u will love! Enjoy good luck..!!
I can fully endorse the purchase of frivolous Dad toys. Oh, and endless trips to Bunnings. Mark my words ;)
Many thanks Chogsta & CapitalD. I'm not sure we can fit a go-kart in our current location...
I'm planning to start having kids next year. Mostly as an excuse to get back into Lego.
I'd imagine an Engineer without Fear might also look forward to Lego...
Lego was awesome!!!
But we have start with the big blocks because the little 'uns might try to dine on the smaller ones...
well said, matt - congratulations! i'm sure you will be a fine father.
you always seem purposeful, open and generous. seems like those are excellent qualities of a dad.
i'm happy for you and can't wait to see the little one at coffee mornings.
cheers,
kristin rohan
Of course you'll be a great dad! And I so relate to the experience of becoming an adult when the child was born. It was like the final rite of passage.
But I think that if we men can somehow keep that Peter Pan part of ourselves while developing the mentor within, we might just stay young even while we grow old, and our kids might just help us do a great job of both.
Kudos!
I'm checking out all the #manweek posts and Mark Pollard kindly linked to yours Matt - well done for writing this and congratulations on impending fatherhood!
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