Episode 30 Not Babysitting with Alex Baron

Alex Baron is not a babysitter. When he wakes up with his daughter at 5:30 a.m., when he changes her diapers or feeds her, he’s not doing it because he has to or because his wife asked him to--he’s doing it because he wants to. Because he loves being Addison’s dad.  Recent studies from the Pew Research Center show that American fathers who live with their children are spending more time with them than in the past, yet fear that they still aren’t giving enough time to their families. In today’s episode, Alex and I talk about his experience of balancing his different roles, the importance of work places supporting fathers in showing up for their families, and how it’s hard to find a community of dads online who aren’t obsessed with high speed strollers.  We also discuss the lessons Alex brings from his childhood into parenting Addie, and what he’s learning from Addie now. For those out there like me who aren't parents, there are also lessons in this episode about learning to parent ourselves, and the importance of healthy separateness in any close relationship.  You can learn more about Alex and today's episode by visiting the Shownotes page.