Being a dad isn’t what it used to be.

To all you dads out there:

Do you feel out of sync with this synced-up world? Does the skiff of your soul struggle on the choppy waves of the future?

It’s OK, you can admit it. You’re not alone. I have a feeling there are more of us adrift out here than you think.
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Here are my top Overwhelmed Dad Mantras, just for you:

• I think, therefore my head hurts.
• Dads are better than search engines.
• Offline all the time.
• Don’t roll your eyes—too late!
• Ask me, not Google.

There isn’t much in this world more wonderful than having all the answers for your kids. We really do know everything they need to know, but only for a few years. I still hear Chip asking me all those kid-sized questions:

What time is it? Can you make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Where do strawberries come from? Can you tell me a story? How do we get home? What’s the moon? How do you tie shoes? Can you teach me to ride a bike? Why’s the sky blue? Can you walk on clouds?

Now he has Google and AI.

When I wanted to learn origami, I asked my dad. When Chip wanted to learn origami, he asked YouTube.

When I wondered where my food came from, my dad and I planted a garden. It took all summer to answer that question. Chip gets all his answers right away, in clicks and bits.

He doesn’t ask his ol’ dad much at all anymore. And when he does, he checks my answers online.

Being a dad isn’t what it used to be.

I miss gazing in his wide open face when I gave him the answers. Miss looking up the answers together when neither of us knew. Miss how long it used to take to discover the world around you.

Miss all of that. It was over way too soon.

Comments

Chip: I’m going to ask dad why the days are so long in summer. I already know. I looked it up online. But I’m going to ask him anyway. Then I’ll ask him to make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Media Jean: It’s hard work raising a parent these days. I still ask my dad to take me to the last video store in town even though I got everything streaming on my phone. Maybe mom’s right: it’s the little things that count, especially with dads.

​​Comic strip from the series "The Story of Fall"
(Kid, Inc. Volume 1: Look Out, Tomorrow, Here We Come!)

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