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 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 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 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 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