Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast where we provide one lesson every day to help you with your

most important job being a dad. These are lessons inspired by ancient philosophy, by practical

wisdom, and insights from dads all over the world.

Thank you for listening, and we hope this helps.

The trade-off is worth it.

Having these kids has changed your life. There are so many things

you used to do that you no longer can. Traveling without notice, staying out all night, sleeping

on airplanes, sleeping in at all. You used to have so much more energy for your job, for your

friends. You used to have time to do lots of things, and now it's a real crapshoot whether you'll get a shower in today,

let alone keep up with the ambitious upstarts coming behind you.

So let's not be sanguine about the sacrifices that this decision has required you to make.

But these days, society does a pretty good job discussing all the costs, financial, physical, social, of having kids. You see it in every

article about the celebrity or artist who chooses not to have a family. You see it in the

arguments of every activist or politician who pleads for sympathy

for working parents. What seems to get mentioned much less often is what you've been given

as a result of becoming a father, the wondrous happiness you feel despite all the disruption.

One doesn't tend to associate kids with peace, the venture capitalist Paul Graham observed recently in his fantastic essay about being a parent.

But that's what you feel. You don't need to look any further than where you are right now.

All those ordinary moments playing in the yard, getting pummeled while they jump in your bed in the morning,

watching TV on the couch, being a family. It's just so amazing. Even the garbage time together

is great and well worth what you've traded away to get it. Most of the freedom I had before kids,

Paul Graham said, I never used. I paid for it in loneliness, but I never used it. And it's true for you too.

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