Parenting a 1 and 3 year old at 49 has its many unanticipated benefits: • I’m grateful. So grateful. But the childrearing enterprise is physically and emotionally taxing (admittedly, I’m grateful the work week has started). And thankfully, I have an amazing partner shouldering the bulk of the load. At 49, I’m immeasurably more mellow and chill. Yes, I still have plenty of room for growth in becoming less uptight; • Getting connected with my sons doesn’t only strengthen their emotional development but I benefit as well. Time with the boys (and wife) acts as a buffer against work and life stresses. I saw recently an abstract of a study in the Journal of Marriage & Family (Eggebeen & Knoester, 2004) indicating the more men engage in activities with their children, the more satisfied they are with their lives. • I’m reorienting my career trajectory with the express purpose of gaining a better work-life balance; • I hafta step up and stay as healthy as possible to keep pace. I’m exercising as consistently as in my twenties; • Eating well is, equally, a priority at my age and, too, to model for my sons. I was chomping on carrot sticks last night and, true to form, Levi noticed and wanted some. Same story come morning, as I had my morning banana (the mimicry does have its limits; he hates the varied texture of the avocados I really enjoy); and • I learn and relearn so many new skills (e.g., today’s Lego’s are not the simple Lego blocks of my childhood and we haven’t entered the realm of technology yet) and relearn so many (swings, slides, bicycles and anything with motion and physical exertion is fun).
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 16:07:54 +0000
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