I realized something important

Hey oh, Dynasty Dad your dadding newsletter. Each week I put air in the tires, strap on a helmet, and share my adventure through fatherhood.

This week’s adventure led me to this: I realized something important

Dad Meme and Joke Of The Week

Meme

Joke

Why did the bicycle fall over?

Because it was two-tired of standing up straight.

The important thing I was missing

Being a dad, for me, is a serious responsibility.

I think my greatest responsibility, as I’m sure you can tell.

My wife and I live and breathe clean up all the messes of parenting

It often feels like a job.

My good intentions; to see my kids turn out as respectful and kid adults has me trying hard.

My effort and laser focus might actually be making things harder.

Like an athlete who gets into a slump and then tries even harder but actually makes it worse.

That’s how I’ve been feeling about my parenting right now…I’m just trying too hard.

This realization has pushed me to test out a new approach.

Instead, I’m trying to have more fun with it.

I was trying to see every moment as a chance to guide them to be more kind, resilient and independent children.

Now.

I’m just having fun.

So when one of my kids does something I don’t like, instead of correcting them I’m trying to find a way to have fun with it first so we can connect.

Once we have connected, then I can find a way to guide them.

This past weekend we laughed a lot…and it seems my attitude shift might be helping.

I hope to spend more time experiencing them and less time trying so hard to get the outcome.

How are you feeling as a dad? Do you, like me, take parenting seriously (maybe too seriously)? Or have you found ways to have fun with it?

This Week's Interesting Thing:

The greatest endurance race on Earth ended this past Sunday.

The Tour de France

135 out of 176 riders completed the grueling 23 day / 21 stage race.

They raced over 2200 miles (NYC to LA and back).

They climb roughly 164k feet of elevation…equal to summitting Mt. Everest 6 times.

Burned roughly 6k to 8k calories daily from cycling 4 to 6 hours (~ averaged 100 miles per day).

At speeds that can eclipse 60 mph down mountains.

The winner of this year’s tour and back-to-back champion was Danish rider and former fish packer, Jonas Vingegaard.

As a dad, here is what I found cool about Jonas’s journey to 2x Tour de France champion:

1/ He was not motivated as a kid.

His parents and friends had to work hard to get him outside and on his bike. It gives me relief that even the most elite cyclist of the most painful sport in the world did not always demonstrate elite motivation. It was the next point, inspiration, that got him hooked and wanting to do more.

2/ His parents helped inspire his passion.

His family camped yearly in the Alps at the bases of some of the most legendary Tour de France summits like alpe d'huez. These adventures were described as “foundational” to his passion to be an elite cyclist. A simple annual camping trip inspired Jonas and the same can be true for us dads with our kids. We can find ways to expose our kids to new things and maybe inspire a passion in them.

3/ Learning to fight at an early age

“He had always been fighting since he was little." “In Denmark you have to fight against the wind”. This is how he learned to suffer and build the power. As a dad it is often tough to watch our kids struggle but when we let them struggle and get stronger on their own, the struggle builds the strength (mentally as much as physically) they need to succeed in life.

I love the Tour de France because it is so much like life. It is an endurance race with so many ups and downs where resilience is the key to success!

I can’t wait for next year!

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