Our 401st Dad in the Limelight is David Houston. 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)
Well, I am a thirty one year old stay at home father of two girls full time and two others part time. When my wife and I got married four years ago, it was a yours mine and ours situation. I have a daughter, she had a daughter and we had a daughter on the way. As a result of this, I am now a stay at home dad of our three year old and our eight month old full time. The eight year old and seven year old girls are only with us part time, but I stay with them also.
In reference to how I am in the limelight, well, along with being a stay at home father, I am a full time student, amateur writer, musician, fisherman, as well as working on a trying to build a hot sauce company. To say I have an incredibly full schedule is an understatement, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. My wife has a great job and this affords me the ability to stay at home with my girls and raise them in a means which I seem fit. Not that there is anything wrong with children being in daycare and what not, I just prefer to have the ability to make sure that they are learning what I deem important.
2) Tell me about your family
Well, as I said before, I have three daughters and a step daughter. I am married to the most amazing woman in the world and she has an amazing job as the manager of a medical research facility. My wife and I have both lived in Vero Beach, FL the majority of our lives but we just recently relocated to Savannah, GA. We love it up here and are greatly pleased that we were given the opportunity to be here. It is a rather bittersweet win though as we don’t get to spend as much time with my eldest and my step daughter as we used to, but things are slowly working out for the best.
3) What has been the largest challenge you have had in being a father?
I think the largest challenge I have had to overcome by becoming a father was probably having to change my entire state of mind. I, essentially, went from being a care free, do whatever I want, partying and having a good time bachelor, to a devoted husband and father. It’s a huge shock. I still have friends that don’t like to accept the fact that I changed everything when I became a parent. As it is now, I have even quit my drinking and partying. I still go to concerts and what not, but I stick out of the whole scene a lot more than I did in the past.
4) What advice would you give to other fathers?
The best advice I can give is just to love unconditionally. I am sure I don’t even have to bring that up really, but your children are the greatest gift in the world. I wouldn’t change anything about my life. I love spending quality time with my children and making sure that they learn the proper ways in life. It is truly amazing the impact that we put on one anothers life. I influence the way my children grow and mold them into the adults that they should be, and they make me a much greater person by allowing me to give unconditionally to someone other than myself.
5) How have you come to balance parenthood and outside life?
Ha! This one is kind of funny. As I said before, I have pretty much eliminated a lot of the things I used to do. I now have my band practice once a week, and I go out to concerts and shows occasionally, but other than that, I would much rather spend time with my family. I do like to get out and get my “freedom” from time to time, but I still like spending my time with my family.
6) What have you learned from the fathers that you have interacted with?
If nothing else, I have learned that patience really is a virtue. Children require so much time and dedication that it is astonishing that parents have any time for anything else. My three year old and us are going through potty training right now and WOW. That is a huge stressor but it has to be done. I have to be patient with her as we have to move at her pace and pushing the issue only makes her not want to do it even more.
7) What else would you share regarding your experiences as a father thus far?
Fatherhood is the greatest thing in the world. There is no better feeling in the world than having your child look to you and tell you that they love you. That and when they want to walk with you and hold your hand, or want to come up and give you a huge hug and kiss. It is great. I would change nothing in the world about fatherhood and I hope that all the other fathers out there feel as I do about this.
8) What have been the most memorable experiences that you have had thus far as a parent?
My most memorable experiences have got to be, the birthing of my children. Child birth is as beautiful as it is traumatizing. That and all of the wonderful milestones that your children go through, whether it be starting to crawl, walk, talk, etc. All of them are amazing. I will never forget the first time my three year old said dada, it almost brought a tear to my eye. Now I have the eight month old that is on the verge of all of these things herself so I get the privilege going through it all once again.
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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