Father's Day: 15 dads tell us how paternity has changed their lives

Many talk about the transformative power of motherhood, but not so much that of fatherhood, which is also so. When a child arrives, whether you are a mother or a father, your life turns completely.

Today we celebrate Father's Day and we wanted to give them a voice. We asked 15 parents how paternity has changed their lives, and this is what they have answered us. There are philosophical reflections, comical comments and everyday situations that have changed as parents. Sincere and emotion-filled testimonials, and above all, of love for their children.

"You already have as many lives as you have children"

Fernando, 40 years old, photographer, father of two 9 and 6 year old girls:

"Life has changed a lot. In fact, my wife and I realized when we sent them to a camp in Peguerinos (Ávila) for fifteen days. Since you are a father You have the responsibility to help your children to be independent in the future. And you have to turn over. You already have as many lives as you have children. And we must try to ensure that they are compatible in a society that tries to prevent it with all its strength. He is tired, very tired. But I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. "

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"Paternal routine becomes your new gym"

Kiko, 41, film and television director, first-time father of a 2-month-old girl:

"I have been a dad for 2 months. At the moment life changes, in my case, when going to the movies. I am a filmmaker and part of the Espinof team and I have gone from going to the cinema three times a week to one a month, although everything will go back to its place. It is true that a chip is also installed that tells me that instead of spending 200 turkeys in the new edition of File X, maybe a lot of diapers suits the little one.

Physically it also changes and the paternal routine becomes your new gym. In addition, we live outside and we don't have the grandparents' wild card, so it changes radically. When we decide to go for the baby we stop smoking. My wife smoked a lot, I didn't smoke much, but we didn't want smells at home and we didn't think it was fair for the little girl either. "

"I could not wish for a better travel companion"

Arthur, 35, graphic designer, father of a six-year-old girl:

"When my partner confirmed that I was pregnant I was shocked almost a whole day. I did not know what to think. We had not looked for the baby and our economic situation was not the best, but once I decided that I wanted to try to be a father, my life It changed, although it wasn't until I had my daughter in my arms that I became a father.

Without pretending, I started to smile more and be in a better mood during the day (even after a bad night) and tried not to entertain me having coffee or talk to finish the job as soon as possible and thus be able to get home as soon as possible to enjoy my little girl. And I keep doing it, sharing my hobbies with her and now they are both: motorcycles, rallies, horses ...

I could not wish for a better travel companion: we go together to the mountains with the dog, we camp by the sea in summer, we make house repairs together or we get stained in the kitchen. I guess one day our relationship will change but, for now, I am the happiest father in the world".

"A smile from your daughters is worth much more than a long applause from the public"

Miguel Angel, 42, commercial and musician, father of two girls of eight and three years:

"I will not deny it. It was a night bird: I liked to go out at night with my friends and my partner, concerts, the big city ... Today I live in a small town in Asturias, I take my daughters every morning to school (and I I love it) and I have a permanent job, something I never imagined before becoming a father, when I just wanted to live on my music.

And the most curious of all, is that I have done it without anyone requiring it. I have become a father day and night because I have decided only when priorities change and a smile from your daughters is worth much more than a long applause from the public. Now I prepare healthy food for the whole family, I have a family car and my friends are other parents of the school whose sons get along with my daughters, and we all stay together during the day.

Of course I still play in a jazz group on weekends and my oldest daughter has started to accompany me to concerts when they are in open spaces. And best of all is that I had never been as happy as now".

"Now I can say without fear of being wrong that I am happy"

Miquel, 36 years old, father of a 16 month old girl:

"The paternity it has changed me in a way as simple as profound: Now I can say without fear of being wrong that I am happy. I can be sad or happy, stressed by work or more relaxed, I may not have the strength to move a finger at the last minute while my daughter runs around the house ... But I'm always happy. "

"Fatherhood far exceeded my expectations at all levels"

David, 41, consultant, father of three children aged 9, 5 and 3:

"Before becoming a father for the first time, I imagined what it could mean to have children, but fatherhood far exceeded my expectations at all levels. Being a father has meant a radical approach to my way of understanding life: You go from being yourself as a person, to being a fundamental part of the lives of others, your children, with all the responsibility and satisfaction that entails. "

"A real baby revolution that awakened instincts and things I didn't know I had inside"

Armando Bastida, pediatric nurse, founder of Breeding with Common Sense and father of three children:

"Do you know that feeling of feeling that life is giving you a second chance? Well, that's what I felt when my first child was born. A real baby revolution that woke up instincts and things I didn't know I had inside, and maybe other than one day they were but they hid or were turned off ... there are many of us who grew up getting hearted and learning to navigate in a climate of authoritarianism that hurt us and we had to protect ourselves to get ahead and the babies go straight there, deep down from the heart.

From day one they tell you that no masks are worth, that they don't want you patched, that they need you sincere, pure, in your essence ... they ask you to tear your fears, shadows and take the bull by the horns, because they need you like this, to learn from there, from purity and innocence and not from your weaknesses.

I always say that adults are children who have forgotten too many things, and when my first child arrived I had to hurry in remember, to retrace and unlearn, to be able to tune into it, understand me, know him and know me. And from that common point, we started a journey together: he as a baby, son, me as a man, father, who helped us get ahead with responsibility, humor and a lot of love. "

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"Enjoyment is on the road, there is no goal"

Eduardo Prádanos, founder of the FLUOR Lifestyle agency and author of the transmedia comic 100 crisis of a first-time dad. He is 36 years old and has a two and a half year old son:

"There is a before and after in my life, no doubt. There is nothing more intense, harder or more complex than being a father. But, without a doubt, and this is the most important thing: there is nothing prettier. And, above all, enjoyment is on the road, there is no goal, that is what I like the most. "

"I decided to quit my job and stay at home to take care of the children"

Paco, 36 years, illustrator, father of Gabriel (12 years), Raquel (8 years) and Sonia (6 years):

"We were very young parents, but we adapted well to the new challenge and" coupled "Gabriel to our routines, with some changes. But there was no spark of war, so we went out with him to the Trail, of reeds with friends and of and if we wanted to go out alone, my partner and I, our parents stayed with him.

Life changed us completely when Rachel arrived. He has Down Syndrome and visits to medical specialists became our routine. His mother has an important executive position, so I decided to quit my job and stay at home to take care of the children. And I feel happy for having done it. We even dared to give them another little brother.

I am with them in all the important moments of their life and I enjoy them so much! I missed the professional side a little, so now that they are more independent, I have redrawn for newspapers and magazines. Of course, always from home while my children are in school. "

"If it's time to play the kitchens and dress up, go ahead"

Juan, 50 years, elevator technician and father of Jorge (19 years), Martín (16 years) and Sandra (6 years):

"I don't want to be a hypocrite. It was his mother who took care more of my older children 's daily lives: of taking them to school, worrying about their homework, birthdays ... I worked many hours, and even weekends, and although my Woman told me her exploits, I didn't share time with them.

And then, without planning it, Sandra arrived and turned my life around. Without being aware of it, she became the girl of my eyes and everything I had not lived with her brothers, I began to enjoy with her. I have never been very effusive, I need your hugs and kisses, I read stories, we cook together and I have even reduced the outings on weekends to take her to tennis matches and meet her class friends. And if it's time to play the kitchens and dress up, go ahead. My daughter has made me a new and better person".

"Fatherhood for me is a continuous adaptation"

Fernando (Papa Lobo), computer consultant, 45, father of two children aged nine and seven:

"Fatherhood for me is a continuous adaptation, constant reinvention, ups and downs, fears, joys and illusions, days of not stopping, tickling, games and bicycles. Days of dad, dad, papaáááááá ".

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"Children fill you with satisfaction and pride, happiness that prevails over hard times"

Jesus, 46 years, journalist and photographer, with 2 children, aged 13 and 10:

"Although you know that being a father is going to change you, since they tell you around you, especially when you know you're expecting your first child. Actually I wasn't really aware until he was born. From that day on everything changes much more than I expected. The center of attention turns and the priorities change, as they warned me so much, but the day to day is what makes you really conscious.

At first I felt a strange mixture between happiness, enthusiasm, motivation with worry and even fear. It becomes hard in the first weeks, I changed the rhythm of sleep, which is something that also affects you physically and mentally for the rest of daily activity, work ... but little by little it is filled with satisfaction and everything gets much better. Especially when my second child was born, that was much more bearable. I already knew what "the matter" was about. And when they have been growing, they fill you with satisfaction and pride, happiness that prevails over the hard times, that there are also and tanned as a person and enrich you. "

"Being a father is a continuous learning"

Carlos Escudero Arás, author of the blog "A dad like Vader", with two children aged 8 and 5:

"The paternity It has made me grow as a person both personally and professionally. On the one hand, I have known myself better and that is that being a father is a continuous learning, and it has made me aware of the importance of a respectful upbringing and a continuous empathy towards our little ones, aware that children are our future.

And professionally, it has given me the opportunity to do what I like the most: writing. Creating a blog about paternity that has given me many joys and also write two paternity books called "The Red Book" and "Breeding as you can" edited by Lunwerg ".

"Before the children I was a selfish and macho boy, more"

José María Ruiz Garrido, author of the blog "La parejita de coup" and father of two twins (boy and girl) of 7 years:

"Being a father has changed me a lot, as much as it can change anyone. Or even more. Because over the years, I can say that I have wanted those changes, and even forced them. And I continue to do so.

Before the children I was a selfish and macho boy, more. I had no idea what fatherhood meant. During pregnancy and even the first months of babies, I was scared to death. I thought that I would not be able to adapt to the new situation, that I would not live up to it. I didn't even know what was coming on me. He suffered scenic panic, and especially resistance to change. But once the first phase was over, everything became a process of continuous learning, until today.

I have learned about parenting, about breastfeeding, about growth milestones and all those issues that revolve around kids. Above this, as one more layer, I have also assimilated and incorporated much more personal concepts, and that affect me, as a father and as a man; patience, tolerance to chaos, control of my fears, feelings management ...

And then came even deeper changes. Things that didn't sound to me before I became a father. Or even worse, they seemed silly and even mad. The care and all that it entails, the burden of women and mothers, responsibility and co-responsibility, equality and equity, feminism ... And I was even aware of my machismo. And that changes you, radically.

I would never have imagined eight years ago that today I would enjoy the things I enjoy, or that I would not miss the ones that then obsessed me. That a job that I love would become only a way to buy time. As much as to decide to accept a reduction in working hours. That the center of my days would gravitate in a few hours, between leaving your school and entering my work ...

My children and my wife continue to teach me, push me and accompany me. All these changes in my habits, my ideas, and my convictions, in my life, have been arriving gradually from before I became a father until now that I see preadolescence closer, they accumulate. Some have cost more, and others have searched for me. I keep trying to improve, to be a better father and a better man. I'm still learning".

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"The twins changed my life, and took my sleep away, a lot"

Carlos Wollenstein, author of the "Stories of a Dad" blog and father of 3-year-old twins:

"The twins changed my life, and they took me a lot of sleep. They made me a little more patient and aware of my actions. No matter how much you tell them, they learn more by what they see and how you behave. Towards yourself, towards them, with your wife and others. "