Proving Everyone Wrong About Being a Dad
54sThe opening challenge to the common belief that parenting is impossible hooks viewers with a confident, relatable dare.
▶ Play ClipAI Summary
A father documents his first 30 days as a parent, detailing the emotional highs and lows, the steep learning curve, and the eventual adjustment to balancing baby care with work and personal life. Despite thorough preparation, the first week was overwhelmingly difficult, but things improved after returning home. The video emphasizes the importance of simplifying life and shifting priorities.
Chapters
[01:06]
Emotional First Cry
The moment of first hearing Frankie cry brought immense relief after a challenging labor and a profound realization of the responsibility ahead.
[01:56]
Preparation vs. Reality
Despite taking every prenatal class and reading numerous books, the first week was still overwhelmingly difficult, highlighting that theoretical knowledge can't fully prepare for the reality of newborn care.
[02:10]
First Week Was the Worst
The first week was the hardest due to the steep learning curve: feeding issues, lack of sleep, and feelings of guilt and shame with less than ideal midwife care.
[03:29]
Improvement After Going Home
Once at home, confidence grew; breastfeeding became easier, sleep improved to 3+ hours, and diaper changes became routine.
[04:53]
Adjusting Work and Life
At four weeks, the father returned to work, leading to a packed schedule. He cut workouts to three days a week and simplified errands to make time for family.
[05:08]
Embracing Minimalism
Realized the need to simplify life by focusing only on non-negotiable priorities, revisiting minimalism to create more freedom and reduce busyness.
[08:30]
Worrying Is a Sign of Good Parenting
A text from his brother, a father of three, noted that constant worry and exhaustiveness are signs of good parenting, providing reassurance.
The first 30 days of fatherhood were a rollercoaster of challenges and joys, ultimately teaching the importance of simplifying life and prioritizing family. The experience reaffirmed that while the learning curve is steep, the rewards are immense.
Mentioned in this Video
💡 Key Takeaways
💡
First Cry Impact
Captures the profound emotional shift of becoming a parent.
01:06
📊
First Week Struggle
Highlights that even thorough preparation cannot fully prepare for parenthood.
02:10
⚖️
Simplify Life
Key principle for managing the demands of a newborn while maintaining personal well-being.
05:08
💬
Worry Equals Good Parenting
Reassuring perspective that anxiety and effort are signs of caring, not failure.
08:30Full Transcript
[00:00] So it's been said that being a parent is the most difficult job in the world. All I ever hear from parents is, "Oh, you're tired now?
[00:13] Try that with kids. I haven't taken a (beep) in five years." I was excited to prove everyone wrong.
[00:26] So I decided to document my first 30 days being a dad. Oh!
[00:39] (breathes deeply) (Frankie crying)
[00:54] It's been a bit of a rollercoaster.
[01:06] I'll never forget the moment when I first heard Frankie cry. I just did not realize how much it would change me After having gone through such a challenging labor,
[01:23] seeing that Frankie was distressed at times, was just this immense amount of relief. for Nat and what she had done
[01:39] And then there was a moment when I realized, holy shit, we have to take care The learning curve to becoming a parent is steep.
[01:56] We took every class you could imagine before having a baby. filled with all of the research from the past nine months. Breastfeeding, parenting 101, CPR for kids, hypnobirthing.
[02:10] We read the books, we listened to the podcasts. - The first week unequivocally for us was the worst part. Since there was just so much to learn,
[02:23] How much does a newborn sleep? Learning how to change a diaper, understand his cues, It was all very overwhelming
[02:37] You have so many moments where you think, so hard? - Why was it so hard? it was hard I think for a number of factors.
[02:51] So we were really struggling to know how to feed him. That was just so stressful and scary. I don't think we had the best midwife care.
[03:05] So we had a lot of guilt and shame through our experience. Like, we were brand new parents. Not at home, but in a hospital sterile environment.
[03:17] of intuition and confidence in ourselves, after six days. - Yeah.
[03:29] - So once we got home, and things got a little bit, dare I say, easy. but nothing like those first few weeks for us.
[03:46] Nat got more confident breastfeeding, we were getting more than three hours of sleep a night. and I've got to say that I got so good at diaper changes,
[04:00] (upbeat music) As we were getting close to the four-week mark,
[04:12] and decided that it was time for me to get back to work. That's okay. I don't wanna edit either.
[04:26] we decided to set up a schedule Wake up times, getting ready, bottle feeds, bath time. I really felt pulled in a million directions.
[04:40] I wanted to prioritize my health. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with Frankie, and I didn't wanna miss a second of any of it.
[04:53] I made adjustments to make time for everything I could. I cut my workouts down to three days a week, to the gym, to the grocery store, to the coffee shop.
[05:08] I realized I needed to start letting go. I needed to simplify my life now more than ever. is because I've been trying to shift my priorities
[05:25] in a direction where I have more freedom. a lot of the decisions that I've made They've made it so I need to make more money.
[05:39] I need to have all these projects going And more and more, I am revisiting some of the core practices of minimalism.
[05:51] How can I create as simple of a life as possible that are absolutely most important, non-negotiable? while I thought I was busy before,
[06:05] I truly am reaching a whole new level of being busy. And our time with Frankie, I've heard that from so many parents before.
[06:19] to be there for every single moment that I can I'd like to thank my sponsor that I could outsource this part of the video to AI.
[06:35] - [Narrator] This video is sponsored According to my database, as of 2023, has been using Squarespace to host his own website.
[06:48] The design, the colors, the photography, the biceps. By the way, these are all very real, unedited photos. Oh, where to start?
[07:03] powerful analytics, et cetera. Buy your domain, pick a template, Wow. Take my money.
[07:17] Then when you're ready to launch, to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. - [Narrator] Okay. Back to the video.
[07:33] and I know that I've talked quite a bit about the challenges, but honestly, as crazy as it's been, - I love the wake ups in the morning.
[07:48] When you take up his swaddle and he goes... and it looks like they're reaching out for you. and it's, like, 7:00 a.m. or whatever,
[08:04] - For the first couple weeks, where I was just, like, making eye contact with him - Yeah, I know.
[08:16] - I know, yeah. It's been amazing. these can be the most difficult weeks of our life Like, that's well said.
[08:30] 'Cause it doesn't make sense - So my older brother, Mark, who's a dad to three He actually texted me on Father's Day
[08:46] it's usually a sign of good parenting. to not care, to not research, to not worry. It's exhausting, but it's what makes great parents,
[09:01] - Aw. Hey, bubba.
