Busy Dads Make the Best Dads
It’s a common cliche that Dad’s regret not spending enough time with their children, but I disagree. I’ve interviewed dozens of business leaders and I have found that busy Dads make the best Dads.
A business man who is doing well in the stock market, you would think would be at work 24/7 to make sure his business is rapidly growing and forward thinking. Rod Drury founder and CEO of multi-billion dollar company Xero does not reflect this trend. Although he travels from time to time, he purposefully lives in a different town to the head office. This way he is able to pick up his children from school and be there for bath times at least two days a week. He lives a busy, yet purposeful life and even takes his children on holidays around the South Island, like he did with his parents and grandparents, exploring New Zealand’s best.
Family man Andy Bray has faced many challenges with his health and loosing his eldest daughter, yet he follows his passion of making marriages better through the non-profit Family Life. He is on dialysis twice a week and works full time within Family Life, yet Andy has made an effort to go on one-on-one dates with his children. Even though his children are now teenagers, he has booked in a day a month in which they will connect, whether it be a phone call, shopping, movies or at a cafe. His children are a priority.
Entrepreneur Vaughan Rowsell’s Mum made it a priority to visit people in the Spinal Unit in South Auckland to encourage people who had limitations like her. Despite being a solo Mum, she always found a way to make things happen for her children and did all this with a positive attitude. This has had a huge impact on Vaughan’s life. Not only is he founder and CEO of Vend, an award winning Point of Sale software, he also gives himself seemingly impossible challenges each year. A few years ago he biked the length of the country. Although he would tell you it’s not impossible, it may be improbably, but nothing is impossible. He also makes the weekend his time with his family. He may take the odd call, but his family is his priority.
I believe these Dads reflect a new generation of Dads who enjoy their children. There is no one that can replace the silliness, the rough-and-tumble, or the risk taking that a Dad seems to freely give. There are many more like-minded Dads who invest in their children, as well as their passion. If you are one of these Dad’s, I would like to say “Thank You!” and “Keep being awesome!”
Sarah Spear
@the_parentalist
If you are an amazing Dad I’d love to hear in the comments below or if you know of an awesome Dad who will be encouraged by this article, please share it 🙂
To date I have interviewed 24 inspiring parents. They are all busy working on their passion and they all make fantastic parents. Discover their inspiring stories by subscribing to The Parentalist.