This post is sponsored by Redbubble, the website where you can find unique and meaningful gifts by artists, like these matching daddy/babby t-shirts that Owen and Lila are wearing! Shop this hot air balloon design by Allison Romero on Redbubble here and get 15% off your order with my code RBC-G21-kittehinfurs

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I’ve been suffering from an awful bout of writer’s block, so for this post I decided to go behind the camera instead of Owen, and asked him to share some Dadly wisdom for father’s day. Just a little role reversal to keep things new and exciting!

Ragini: Could you please share some dadly wisdom with my blog readers, in light of the fact that you’re actually the best Dad-Dad in the history of dads?

Owen: Does this mean writing the blog post for you?

R: yis

O: I’ve just finished writing 30,000 odd words for my PhD thesis last week, so that’s a no from me.

R: Argh fine, can I at least interview you?

O: If you must!

R: Right, what’s the best part of being a dad?

O: The best part…seeing Babs laugh, seeing her smile, seeing her happy. Seeing her discover things as the world around her gets bigger. When she does something for the first time, it makes me feel so proud of her. Just getting to spend time with Babs really, she’s the best little person I know.

R: How is being a dad different to how you envisioned it before Babs came along?

O: Well, I knew there’d be nappy changing and I knew it’d be tiring. I sort of knew abstractly that it’d be rewarding. I don’t think I realised how much it would change everything…with this whole other person who’s joined the family, who’s opinionated and demanding and has a mind of her own. Just a whole new person. I don’t think I realised how much I’d happily put up with when it comes to Babs – I wouldn’t put up with half as many tantrums and demands if it was anyone else!

R: So do you feel like being a father has changed you as a person?

At this point, Owen starts quoting lyrics from Bittersweet Symphony.

R: Minus the 90’s Britpop maybe…

O: I knew it would change me, everything changes you. Being a father has possibly made me more patient and understanding but then again maybe that’s just Babs. Maybe I’m not fundamentally patient, I’m just patient with Babs.

R: What’s the thing about parenthood that you struggle with the most?

O: I miss having free time, and being in charge of my own time. The early morning wake up calls, especially. Those are the worst.

R: Do you have any advice to share with dads to be?

O: The most important thing is patience. You need to have infinite patience in order to be a parent. You have to be the person who’s always there for your child, literally be the adult in the room. You’ve got to remember that your child is very small and easily frightened or excited or tired or unsure about what’s going on around them. Everything’s new to them. You’ve got to put yourself in their shoes the best you can. Remember that children are just learning to express their wants and needs and feelings and it’s a difficult process. A lot of the time, screaming and crying is the only way they can express themselves. You need to be the rock that the ocean wave crashes against and washes over.

Enjoy every single moment with your child. When they’re fast asleep next to you (or on top of you! -R.) when you’re sitting with them on the sofa reading out a book, or going for a walk and sitting on a bench together pointing out the trees and the flowers and the clouds and the dogs being walked past. Enjoy those quiet, precious moments, and the loud raucous ones too. Because you only get each moment once.