Dude to Dad Episode Five: "Back To Work" - Fatherly

You have a newborn and suddenly the responsibilities in your life become impossible to keep up with. It’s like they’ve been bitten by a radioactive “adulthood spider” and have transformed to become SUPER RESPONSIBILITIES. You stop answering emails, seeing friends, bathing yourself. All your humble Dude to Dad can do is eat, sleep, and attempt to keep his new bundle of joy alive.

So adding a new employer on top of having my first child was a real kick in the responsi-balls. It was hard enough keeping my screaming Tamagotchi of a son fed, as well as tending to my postpartum-afflicted wife, without the added pressure of trying to memorize an org chart. But that’s where I found myself — a new wife, new son, and a new job.

But, as Dr. Ian Malcom once said, “Life finds a way.” Humans adapt. I have learned to sleep three hours a night, juggling tasks at work, providing comfort for my wife, and finding time to take care of my son.

Do I sometimes wish I had remained a freelancer or had tried to become a stay-at-home-dad? Yes. I also wish I had found Chester Copperpot’s gold on a sunken pirate ship that one summer with my friends and never had to work again … but that’s The Goonies and not my life.

Work-Life Balance is a myth. The reality is that parenting comes with hard choices. The inbox overflows. Career aspirations get pushed. The “To Do list” floats into the ether. I have a new To Do List and it involves keeping a freshly made human from constantly being covered in his own feces.

But as you’ll see in the newest episode of Dude to Dad, it’s all worth it.