My name is Ken Mach and I’m just your normal father of five, husband, and teacher! I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago playing soccer, video games, and living a great life. From there, I went to college, met my amazing wife, and together we have walked life’s path to happiness by chasing our career dreams, and having the large family we always wanted. We were once residents of Fairbanks, Alaska (no I don’t know any of the people from the shows), but now live in Washington state. I connected with The Dad of Divas through twitter, and I couldn’t be happier that he’s reached out to have me be a part of this site!

There’s too much to say. I love my family. My wife and I have hit the cutie jack-pot with our 5 kids. Our oldest is 9. He’s a creative dreamer, inventor, and lover of history. He has a confidence that shines, and a heart so big that anyone around him feels better just by being close to him. Our second kiddo-in-command is our 7 year old daughter. She is tough like her mama, and the Sicilian Great-Grandma she was named after. Like her older brother, she has a huge heart that she wears on her sleeve. Her smile lights up a room, and her passion for music is unmatched. Our numbers 3 & 4 were a package deal! The twin boys were the perfect addition to our family. They have laughs that are contagious, eyes that melt you, and personalities that are nothing but memorable. While they are completely different from each other (Athlete vs. Artist/musician), they are brothers through and through. And finally, our most recent addition was born just last year. Our little girl has brought calm to our home just with her presence. She has a reflective quality about her that is amazing to see, and a smile that just.. it just…melts this daddy for sure!

Then there is my wife. I couldn’t have found a more inspiring, gifted, and loving person. She has my back with every step, and shows strengths I didn’t think possible. She’s an amazing mother and business owner, and I couldn’t be any happier.

Honestly, the most difficult challenge with fatherhood has come in the “provider” role of things. I’ve allowed myself to get wrapped up with being a “present” and “able” dad that I’ve dropped the ball at times as a provider. Where I could have/should have taken a summer job or a second job, I focused on being a dad that was home with the kids, doing the house chores, and at times avoiding that responsibility. Thankfully, in doing that, I also supported my wife’s ambition toward owning her own business. Her success there has also inspired me to further tell my story, and create my own side empire with my blog and on-line tutoring site! So, it’s taken me a little while to figure out that balance between being a “present” dad and a provider, but I’m well on my way to changing that!

Create memories with your kids. And it doesn’t have to be anything out of the ordinary. Take a day off and take the kids to lunch. Laugh with them, and be silly. It’s amazing to be a dad, and as the kids get older, it’s amazing to hear them talk about the things they remember. We are such an important piece of our kids’ development, and we have to make that as positive as possible. (even when we’re tired, cranky, and having one of those parenting moments!)

What is this “balance” thing you speak of? I truly have little balance in my day-to-day. There is work and then there is family time. After that, and outside interests have been adjusted to include family time. Outside social life has been changed to be meeting up with other families with small kiddos. For example, every Friday afternoon we meet up with families met through the Twins’ preschool or with the older kids’ school friends. It’s a great way to wind down the week, and to connect with families “fighting” similar battles. It also helps us deal with the typical end of week exhaustion our kids feel from the long days of school.

I’ve learned that there are a lot of dads that don’t know how to talk about being “a dad” when around other dads. Conversations typically go to sports, other hobbies, or work. We have to be excited to talk about parenting, and to help each other with the challenges of being dad. Some of us dads check out and focus only on the income. While this is a good in many ways, it’s also hard for the memory creating. If we could be guys talking about our kids, and life as a dad, we can work together to help create that balance we need. So, for me, I try to talk about my kids, and family to open up conversations. I take the responsibility to bread down the wall, because when I do, I find that most dads are eager to chat it up about life as a dad.

From my experience, I would say that this isn’t an easy thing to do alone. Parenting requires a team whether with their mom, grandparents, auntie, uncle, teachers, neighbors, or friends. The team needs to be on the same page. Thankfully, I’ve married an amazing person, and together we have aligned our parenting goals. With her help, I’ve learned to stay true to those rules and goals, so the kids know that there is consistency. That consistency is paramount to their overall comfort, confidence, and ability to learn and grow. The rules at home are applied to the other places they go, and that safe consistency helps them be the best they can be each day.

I’ve loved creating memories with my family. As I mentioned above, I’m all about finding those little moments each day to share with my kids. The most memorable experience for me right now is swimming with my kids and their Granny & Gramps when they recently visited. While we did many things during their trip, I truly enjoyed swim time in the hotel pool. There was so much laughter, and confidence building watching the twins try new things in the water, and our oldest 2 getting better with their swimming ability. I love that they still talk about that time in the pool weeks later.

On a larger scale, we took a trip to Orange County a few years back that was great. We rented a house, and went to Lego Land, the zoo, the beach. We hired a photographer to do a photo shoot for us, to help us capture more of the amazing moments (highly recommend good photography!). It’s a trip the kids still talk about!

Check out my ebook on talking to teacher’s about your student’s academic struggles.