A Dad’s First Steps (A Research Article)

These days people are trying to see what it’s like to be someone else… Put on a “disguise”, be an “undercover boss,” and you even hear about movie stars dressing up as their characters for upcoming roles… Well I think it’s time I did some research for this blog and for parents everywhere.  It’s time to “walk a mile in my son’s shoes.” (I mean that figuratively of course bc I wouldn’t be caught in those Stride Rite’s)

As Jax begins his journey walking I wanted to get a feel for the nervousness, excitement and determination it takes a 13 month old to continue getting up fall after fall. And that I did…

This is a classic example of a dad trying to be cool. “No, no really I got this… I don’t need any help.” Immediately followed by a fall to my death or worse torn suit pants. There’s no doubting the confidence that was gained from the first two or three successful steps on those stilts. I had confidence coming in waves… only to end in disaster.

How much would you have paid to be one of the lucky ones to see this clown fall?

Look, at some point you have to just realize walking just isn’t for you any more… especially when you are facedown on a cold role floor. There are only a finite number of high pressure steps one person can navigate through before succumbing to gravity… and I hit my quota pretty early on.

The look that says, “ohh crap Ijust killed my boss!”

At this point I felt like a horse who just needed to be taken out to pasture and put out of his misery… Please just drop a sheet over me and go on with your day.

Luckily this kid has a better sense of balance than his father as he learns to maneuver through the world using his new found mode of transportation.  Yes he may look like a drunken sailor and yes he may look like his knees don’t work when he walks… But at least he’s better at it than his dad… And at least now his dad knows the pain of learning to walk again.

A split for the ages… Glad that hurdling flexibility is still coming in handy.