Self-Care Makes A Man Stronger

Parenting is inherently selfless, but the kids don’t benefit when Dad’s a basketcase.

Last week, we wrote about the importance of real-life connection, putting faces to feeds and embracing the thoughts behind the thumb emojis. Knowing a person puts their text in context, and that’s enough clever wordplay for one day.

Another very prevalent topic among parents is self-care, which we often see analogized as making sure your own oxygen mask is in place before you tend to your kid’s. It can seem counterintuitive, since most aspects of parenting are inherently selfless. But that doesn’t change the fact that the kids don’t benefit when Dad’s a basketcase.

While self-care has been trending recently — from meditation to expensive contraptions — the easing of one’s personal stress has been around forever. And we like to think we’ve been ahead of the curve, partnering with a brand like Dove Men+Care (see their yoga session at Dad 2.015, above) since the beginning. Because their tagline “Care makes a man stronger” is just as relevant when you aim that care at yourself.

Self-care is big business for a reason: It works. And it’s about time more men understood what the women in our lives often try to teach us: It’s just as important for us dudes to embrace it, and to realize when we need it.

For a lot of us, that important reset happens in a group setting. Getting out once a week for a round of beers. Tailgating on Sunday. And attending a conference with a lot of guys who relate to whatever ails you (if you’re a stay-at-home dad, maybe that reset comes at HomeDadCon, currently underway in Orlando).

Conferences offer such a reset, a respite from daily routine, equally reflective and engaging. It is both gentle unwind and swift charge of the battery. It is a shared self-care experience, a few days of collective deep breathing bent upon a prism of perspective. And it underscores the important point that despite whatever individually stresses you out, we’re all in this together.

SUMMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Now that our Summer Sale has ended, Summit tickets are available here for just $249.
• The Miller Grants help to support those that need it with regard to attending Dad 2.0. Donate and/or apply here.

IN THE NEWS

Dads, are we obligated to teach our kids all of the skills our fathers taught us, or do we allow for societal inflation?

Have you tried to speak to your teen about the endless studies showing negative effects of heavy social media use? Chances are, your kid disagrees.

Emotional isolation is ranked as high a risk factor for mortality as smoking. Do your best to stay on the grid.

“How can a man pass on the good lessons his father taught him, and also improve on the areas where his father came up short?”

“For Michael Ealy, fatherhood saved my life.”

“I’m trying hard to be the father that I didn’t have. We try to have a fairly normal, whatever ‘normal’ is, life. It’s important for kids.”

To meet the needs of the community, a free online program was designed to help prepare men for fatherhood. It has gained a significant amount of traction.

A word about entrepreneurs and fatherhood: Is it possible to engage with your kids and “forever be under the spell of some idea” and the desire to realize it?

We often read about “movies all parents should watch with their teen,” but what about classic television?

PORCHLIGHT POSTS

• “The nurse sucked the last of his water world out of him. And then the cry, a goodbye to that wet planet.” — Ira Sukrungruang, Up and Under: On Water, Fatherhood, and the Perils of Both
• “I remember how you used to wait outside of my school every Friday afternoon in Brooklyn Heights. You were never late.” — Jonathan Greene, An Open Letter to My Father
• “I vowed not to reveal too much sadness in front of my daughter. It’s always important to try to be strong for the person experiencing the most transition.” — Vincent O’Keefe, College Drop-Off of Firstborn Leaves Parents Wondering, Worrying
• “We cross a bridge, and it’s like we enter a different dimension. Thousands are running around in bathing suits, wearing no shoes, going from ride to ride. I wheel the stroller, trying to avoid the listeria-water that is dripping down on us from rides we are crossing under.” — Brett Grayson, The Family Trip
• “So, now, I think of this place. And its people. And the pier, reaching out into the ocean. And I hope that what makes it special remains so, and recovers from whatever the days ahead hold.” — Cort Ruddy, Going to Carolina

‘GRAM OF THE WEEK

Do you receive the Dad 2.0 Summit Newsletter? You should! In it we share all kinds of information and news about the Dad 2.0 Summit. Add it to your inbox! It’s the perfect way to start planning your trip to San Antonio.

Share your traditions of fatherhood news or stories that you would like to share you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Snapchat using the #FoF hashtag!

Originally published at www.dad2summit.com on September 14, 2018.