Our 418th Dad in the Limelight is David Kepley. I want to thank David for being a part of this series. It has been great getting connected with him and now sharing him with all of you.
1) Tell me about yourself, (as well as how you are in the limelight for my readers knowledge)
I am a stay-at-home dad and in my spare time I co-manage the Just a Dad 247 blog. My hobbies are household projects and movies with explosions. My favorite color is green and I’m confident that I am the most humble person you know.
2) Tell me about your family
I have two boys (age 2 and 4) and a wife I could not be more proud of. My wife is a flight attendant. We met at 5 am on a train. She was going to her first day at work and I was coming home from…well, drinking. When my wife goes to work, she does not come home for a few days at a time. That leaves me on my own with no relief coming. The benefits outweigh the detriments and we do our best to make it work.
3) What has been the largest challenge you have had in being a father?
Patience. It is easy to get lost in my own selfishness and in turn take that out on my kids. I believe understanding another person’s perspective is the key to being patient. With them, I try to remember they are children and they are learning.
4) What advice would you give to other fathers?
Do the best you can. Realize that only you know what your best is. Whether that means not getting everything on your to-do list done or allotting time to engage with your children; know your limitations while holding a high standard.
5) How have you come to balance parenthood and outside life?
I put my marriage first above all things. If my marriage is strong, everything else will trickle down. Especially given our schedules, my wife and I make it a priority to make time together, not just as parents, but as the individuals who fell in love.
6) What have you learned from the fathers that you have interacted with?
There are more dads who would be willing to be a stay-at-home parent than you would think. Many families are hindered by their work schedules. My wife has the ability to pick up more shifts to bridge the gap of two incomes. Men are increasingly seeing the benefits through the opposition of societal and economic pressures.
7) What else would you share regarding your experiences as a father thus far?
Try to avoid the comparison games that people place on their children. So what if a book says they should know their ABC’s by twenty months. Children are different, they are born that way. I try to encourage my children’s strengths and guide them through their weaknesses. Ultimately my goal is to prepare my children with the tools to get the most out of their lives. I think they can only do that if they approach that as who they are and not who anyone thinks they should be.
8) What have been the most memorable experiences that you have had thus far as a parent?
Hearing I love you from my children. Not just the parroting statement that I try to get them to repeat, but the true conscious decision in their eyes when they say the words. I have never heard anything better.
If you have any questions for David, please leave a comment here and I will make sure that he gets them so that he may be able to respond!
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It’s great seeing a dad blog. I love the story of how you and your wife met.