Featured Fathers

Meet Daniel, age 28, father of 5 children - his, hers, mine and ours. He lives with his wife, Jamie; his ex-wife’s son, Torin and his two daughters, Katie, Danielle; Jamie’s son, Kyle; and their daughter, Lizzie. Daniel, at age 16, assumed the role of father to Torin before he was born, when Torin’s biological father chose not to be involved. At 17, Daniel married Torin’s mother and daughter Katie was born.

To support his family of four, Daniel ran three full-time paper routes and substituted for four more. He also worked part-time at a small supermarket and was a full-time student in high school. Daniel joined the United States Marine Corps to better support his young family. Soon after, daughter Danielle was born.

Under the pressures of family and military demands, the marriage began to suffer and they divorced. Daniel left the service at his children’s request, remarried, gained full time custody of the children and had another daughter a few years later. Daniel, a full-time college student and full-time third shift worker until recently, says,“Going to school full-time, working, and having custody of my children was a challenge to my commitment to finishing school. There were times when I thought it would have been easier to just quit school and go to work. I knew that to give my kids everything they wanted, I would have to finish school. My kids kept me motivated to finish.” He recently completed his degree and landed an accounting supervisor position. “My kids come first; always. My wife feels the same and that makes parenting easier. My biggest challenge as a dad is, treating all of my kids equally and fairly, including my stepson, Kyle. I want them to know I love all of them, all of the time.”

Daniel’s favorite times with his kids are unique to each child. He said, “When Torin and I work on my 1965 Mustang together, he really opens up and talks to me. When Kyle helps me, he always asks a lot of questions and that helps us bond.” He enjoys playing board games with his school age daughters. “Lizzie is ‘Mommy’s Girl’, so when she comes to me to cuddle, I drop everything. These are the times I cherish with her.”

Daniel says he is still learning how to be a parent. “I just take it one day at a time and deal with the issues as they come up. I have never been a dad to a teenager before. The hardest part about being a parent is having to discipline my kids. It can be a real challenge to find an effective punishment for a pre-teen who knows everything.” Daniel says with a chuckle. “My advice to other fathers is to do what comes naturally and not be afraid to ask for help. Teach your kids honesty and responsibility by living that way yourself. My wish for my children is that they take their time falling in love and become responsible, honest citizens,” says Daniel.