Welcome to A Father’s Voice for August 2007. Best Part of My Life, Daddy is about the roller coaster ride of being a Daddy – how it can be wonderful, lonely and then glorious all in a couple of hours.

After some time off last month, things have picked up with an intensity. I was interviewed by three different publications in an 8-day span – all of which will either be available in August or September. The first was a magazine in South Africa, my first exposure to the African continent. They wanted my thoughts on the challenges of new fathers. Then Best Life interviewed me on how to develop a close relationship with each of your children when you have more than one. That has the potential to be really interesting. But the interview that surprised me the most was with Psychotherapy Finances. They wanted to learn more about my workshops and writing as a way to help other therapists build their practice and develop multiple revenue streams. I will be sure to make all of these interviews available through my web site when they are published.

A Father’s Voice is my chance to share my voice with you about the challenges and rewards I experience trying to be a very involved father while overcoming my childhood and having to work full-time away from our home. I write during the only disposable time of my day – my train ride to and from home. I hope you will take a moment to subscribe to A Father’s Voice by visiting www.AFathersVoice.net.

Best Part Of My Life, Daddy

By Jeremy G. Schneider, MFT

On Sunday we went to the mall with my Okapis. While Elijah, my 3-year old son, got a haircut with Mommy and Abuelita, I got Jordyn, his twin sister, all to myself. And it was lovely. One of the biggest frustrations I have during the week is not only do I not get enough time with my Okapis, I don’t get good time with my Okapis. I get the worst time of the day with them, the time when they are their most tired and that is the most structured. They need to eat. They need to take their vitamins. They need to change into PJs. They need to get nebbied. They need to brush their teeth. They need to go to bed. They need to do it within 1.5 hours of me coming home. I just don’t understand why it doesn’t become a lovefest every single night.

I also almost never get time alone with either of them. We keep meaning to change that, but keep running into challenges. Of course, the time I had with Jordyn was lovely; we even got a chance to look at some clothes for her. She is ridiculously smart, very observant and does wonderful things with her tone of voice – not only does she pick up new vocabulary very well, she is astute enough to mimic the tone, as well, appropriately. I don’t get to see that side of her enough at home, but at the mall with all of that stimulation and the fact that she has been there more than I have because she goes with my wife – especially when it is cold or wet – it really comes out. I was having a great time when Elijah, my wife and her mother met up with us.

Then it was as if I had disappeared.

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