Matthew Clarke, Coco & family with Kraig Docherty from Invoke Labs.
I hope everyone had an amazing Father’s Day! I was lucky enough to catch up with Matthew Clarke, creator of one of our favourite webinar series here at myBestHelper called convos with my 2-year old, to ask him a few questions about what it’s like to be a Dad. I’ll let his answers speak for themselves…
Q: What is a change you’ve noticed in yourself after becoming a Dad, something you didn’t expect?
Matt: I’m not really sure to tell you the truth. I feel in a way like I’m so in the midst of it all still, I haven’t the perspective yet to sit back and pin point such things. And yet, ironically, I think my answer is probably that I’m more self aware. It’s so glaringly obvious to me how much an effect I have on my kids. My emotional state, my outlook, my patience level, how I handle all sorts of different things. I clearly see a correlation between my mental state/behaviour and my kid’s mental state/behaviour. So I’m constantly trying to check in with myself and see where I’m at. What am I feeling? What am I really feeling beneath that feeling? And so on and so forth until I reach some sort of existential crisis and bounce back up to the surface just in time to clean tomato sauce off the roof, or stop an entire shelf of groceries from falling. Now that I say that, maybe I’ve actually become a super hero of sorts. Yes, let’s go with that. I am now a superhero. Didn’t expect that.
Q: What’s a new “family tradition” in your household? Anything for Father’s Day?
Matt: I’ve been trying to start a Father’s Day tradition where I get waited on hand and foot all day while I sip a beer on the couch, watching golf in complete serenity. I’ve got a long way to go on that one.
I feel like our most consistent family tradition is being late.
Q: Do you have a “parenting hack” or shortcut to share? A favourite app? A ridiculous strategy?
Matt: I’m always asking this question, never answering it. I don’t know. One thing I’ve been consciously trying lately and seems to be making my life easier is trying not to micromanage so much. Let them go a bit more and just guide vs control. It’s amazing how letting her find her own longer, more complicated way to put on her shoes as opposed to me just grabbing them and putting them on saves me what feels like hours in argument time. If only we could put that into an App. We’d be rich!!
A big thank you to Matt – I sincerely hope you got your Father’s Day wish.
Are you a Dad? What did you wish for on Father’s day? Did you get it? And are you a super hero too?
Stephanie Phillips, User Experience Lead at myBestHelper, maker of many Father’s Day Breakfasts-in-bed that went a little awry….
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