Now then. I’m Matt, father to Mia (4) and Jude (2) and husband to the beautiful Amy.
And I’m supposing you are, like me, a man who’s had (or about to have) his world turned upside down by the madness that is fatherhood.
It’s often said that you don’t remember life before having kids. Suddenly, the life you led before only exists in some kind of parallel universe. It’s certainly felt that way for me at times.
With fatherhood, there’s no work experience, no trial run, no qualification you can earn that’ll give you a head start. You’re learning on the job, but you’re already the CEO. And your ability to turn up for your shift every day for the next couple of decades will play a big part in a young person’s life.
Sounds scary, and it certainly feels that way for me sometimes. But with a bit of effort, knowledge and support, we’ve got half a chance.
That’s why I’ve started ‘World’s Gone Dad’.
As the wild vortex of fatherhood threatens to devour us, sometimes it’s good to stop and think about it all. Writing down my experiences helps me to make a bit more sense of it all. And I enjoy it.
And if any good folks out there happen to find any of it useful and/or entertaining, well that’s a bonus.
Are you already a veteran of the paternal arena? Why not share your experiences of similar situations with a comment or a message?
Who knows, maybe it’ll be a space where guys can share experiences, ideas, advice and opinions about all things dad.
When my world went Dad
It all started one night at the end of August 2017. Me and Amy, huddled over a pee-covered, plastic rod, wondering if the faintest of blue lines was real, or just our minds playing tricks on us. Another couple of days, a much bluer line and it was official – I was going to be a dad.
Nine months later, out popped Mia (with a bit of help). Two years and a week after that, out popped Jude (with much less fuss).
During those first few years of fatherhood, I’ve become a teacher, married Amy, quit teaching (sort of) and made the first steps on the journey to becoming a freelance writer. I’ve also stumbled, tumbled and bumbled my way through fatherhood and as yet, both kids still have all of their limbs. I consider that a success, but there’s a long and treacherous road ahead.
The need to be involved in my kids’ lives was a big factor in my quitting teaching, and thankfully, I now have more time and energy to spend on them. But I’m still not as involved as I’d like, and that’s something I’m hoping to remedy as soon as poss.
What to expect from World’s Gone Dad
You’ll hear me prattle on about all kinds of topics here. Of course, there’ll be light-hearted stuff about family life and being a dad – stories and general contemplations about the weird and wonderful life of a father.
But we might also get a bit deep and discuss some of the more serious issues and research around fatherhood, childhood and family life from time to time.
I reckon that to be a good dad, you also need a sense of identity and fulfilment beyond being a father. So you’ll find my ramblings on whatever stuff I happen to get excited about – sport, books, food, places – basically anything that’s brought me a bit of joy.
This blog is most definitely not about having all the answers. In fact, it helps me to learn. So I’d love to hear your comments, opinions and advice on anything you come across while you’re here.
Cheers,
Matt
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