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

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 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 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 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 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