By Caleb Roose Photo by Elina Fairytale My whole life and mind used to be organized in boxes. There was the work  box: when I was at work, I was present at work. And there was the home  box: when I was at home, I was present with my family. But then the 2020 pandemic hit, and it all came crashing down like my kids' box forts. Like so many other dads, I was forced to work from home, and the boundary between work and family life quickly eroded. Suddenly, the way I had organized

By Caleb Roose Photo by Ketut Subiyanto The first day of school always feels like hitting a launch button—with someone else setting the...

By Caleb Roose Photo by Gustavo Fring “Clean your room.” “Put your clothes away!” “Did you hear me?!” As parents, sometimes getting your...

By Caleb Roose Photo by Pixaby When my first child was born, I felt like I had just begun the most important story of my life—only to realize I wasn’t the main character. And that felt... strange. When you become a parent, there’s a seismic shift that happens. It’s not just that a new human enters your world—it’s that the entire dynamic between you and your partner changes. You and your spouse go from a primarily face-to-face relationship to shoulder-to-shoulder, re-centering

Discipline without regret: Learn 4 proven strategies to correct your kids calmly while strengthening your relationships with them as a dad.

By Caleb Roose Photo by Taryn Elliott Career changes can feel daunting, especially for dads. You feel the weight of your dissatisfaction at work, your dreams, and  your family’s needs. While a successful career change isn’t easy, it is possible. And finding a career that fits can make all the difference for you and your family.  In my experience as a career and life coach, 85% of what it takes to make a successful career change happens before you even apply for a job .  Here

By Caleb Roose Photo by Ketut Subiyanto It’s hard to raise emotionally healthy kids if we’re not emotionally healthy ourselves.  I remember when my oldest child entered the toddler years. Suddenly, her big emotions—the tantrums, the screaming, the refusal to listen—sent my blood pressure skyrocketing. I soon realized I didn't have the emotional health and skills I needed to be the kind of calm, guiding presence she required during those intense moments . Perhaps you can relat

By Caleb Roose Photo by Eliana Roose (4 years old) I was working at a good, steady job, but it felt like I was running on a treadmill. Despite the security and routine, I couldn’t shake the sense that I wasn’t going anywhere . I was dissatisfied, longing for a sense of progress and fulfillment, but not sure how to move forward. How a personal crisis sparked passion Then the pandemic hit, triggering a personal crisis. In the midst of dealing with unhealthy levels of stress and

By Caleb Roose Photo by Derek Thomson As dads, our time is limited.  Between work, commuting, and everyday adult responsibilities, the majority of our time is often spent apart from our kids (and if you’re divorced, this time may be divided even further based on custody terms).  To make matters even more challenging, the time apart from our kids only grows as they get older and often choose to spend more time with their peers and less with their parents. All of which begs the

By Caleb Roose Photo by William Fortunato For some couples, deciding whether or not to have more kids can be a difficult decision.  [Deciding how many kids to have is also a privilege. For some dads, life circumstances dictate whether or not they’re done having kids—rather than choice.] My wife and I knew we wanted somewhere between two and four, but when it came to deciding the exact number, it wasn’t so easy.   We were then faced with the question: How do we decide? Recentl

By Caleb Roose Photo by Helena Lopez Who welcomed you into fatherhood?  Chances are—no one.  Yet for many other significant life transitions in our society, we clearly recognize them with friends and loved ones. When we finish school, we celebrate the transition from student to whatever is next at a graduation . When we get married, we celebrate the transition from single to married life at a wedding . When we have a baby, we celebrate the transition from being a co

By Caleb Roose Photo by RDNE Stock Project The bedtime battle When my kids entered the toddler/preschool stage, getting them ready for...

By Caleb Roose Photo by Ketut Subiyanto The conflict: Career vs fatherhood When I first became a dad, two questions hit me almost instantly:  “ How can I be a good dad? ”  which was quickly followed by,  “How can I make enough money to support a family?”  These questions then led to an internal conflict:  Should I spend more time on my career to provide for my family (but have less margin to be present with my kid)?  -or- Should I focus on being a present dad  (but potentia

By Caleb Roose Photo by Monstera Production Moving away from the extremes of parenting When I first became a dad, I thought I had two options to pick from:  I could either be a Pushover Dad  or a Dictator Dad .  I was either going to empathize with my kid (and therefore give in to whatever she wanted) or lay down the law (no matter how she felt about it).  But being caught in the either-or between empathy and guidance is a no-win situation. What kids (and parents) need is bot

By Caleb Roose Photo by Nathan Dumlao It’s well-known that babies, toddlers, and young kids don’t remember much from their early days of life—so much so that comedian Nate Bargatze has a bit about how people basically want him to tell his kids, “You can’t have fun until you start remembering things!”  Nate goes on to say that he wants to have fun with his kids, even if they won’t remember it. And he has a point.  What our kids remember may not be the most important thing abou

By Caleb Roose Photo by Sander Sammy Why is my baby screaming? Why am I so stressed out by it? What’s going on?! Whether your kids are young or old, I’m sure you can relate. Perhaps you’re dealing with behavior issues, you’re caring for a sick or special needs child, or you’re struggling to balance work and family life—or any combination of other fatherhood challenges. Being a dad can quickly become overwhelming. And, in the heat of the moment, it can be all too easy to react

By Caleb Roose Photo by Pavel Danilyuk My workday ended with a dozen things undone and a misunderstanding between me and a colleague that left me feeling frustrated and anxious. As I started my commute home, I looked at the clock and realized I had approximately 23 minutes to transition from work to dad mode. In light of the stress I was carrying, it didn’t seem like nearly enough. And yet I knew I had to make the most of the commute if I was going to be at least marginally

By Caleb Roose Photo by Jan Huber When I found out I was going to be a dad, one of the first things I did was open Google and search, "How to be a good dad." But I didn’t just want to be a “good” dad, I wanted to be a great dad. I wanted to be a hero in the eyes of my kids. I wanted to be there when they needed me most. I wanted to be the perfect dad they could always count on. Yet reality hit early on that I was far from perfect. When my toddler was having tantrums or melt