Late In Life Father-Survive And Advance

I have a young wife, therefore my first child at 55, my last child at 63. I have three children, two girls aged seven and six, and a boy who is currently a year and a half. I refuse to age this young man using his age in months. When people say their child is 15 months, it does not compute and it does no harm to round off the age to make everything simpler.

The PLAN is to keep it at three kids, but if more come, so be it. The question is, what is fair to the child. You'll find out ALL ABOUT the pros and cons of being a LILF.

"90% of good parenting is being there."-Kevin Suggs, father and friend

I work at home so I am there-that’s ONE THING I do right. I am certainly there.

One advantage of being an older father…is that I suppose I am up to date with the latest nutrition and medical guessing as a 27 year old dad may be. But sadly, you should see how out of control I am personally with sugar, and I have surely passed that on to my kids. Little Debbies, Starburst, ice cream everyday almost, McFlurries, double stuff Oreos, and it goes on. I am sure when I disclose that particular shortcoming, parents everywhere are aghast. But the fact is, I was raised that way, and at my age I have no sugar problems which sends us to one of my long time credos…

”You are what you ate.”

My son Brooks at a year and a half

I feel young (enough) at heart which can translate into emotional immaturity, but at my age I guess that can be good.

I MAY be lacking emotional maturity…no I take that back…I AM lacking emotional maturity, but I am the emotional one in the house, I frustratingly scream my orders because I tell myself that’s the only way they'll hear me. When I try to act level-headed because people always say you can't be emotional when you lay down

the law or punish, these two older girls run away giggling and laughing while I swear to you I can hear them saying "blah blah blah Daddy."

I don't get it. I was scared shitless of my father. Don't us guys turn into our fathers?

But when mama makes a mandate, it’s law. So I use HER to threaten these girls with the old “wait until your mother gets home.” Hey listen, it works.

My wife is the level headed one, I am not, but you need both I say, because two level-headed parents creates a recipe for boring and I'll have none of that. As I age, nothing changes in that I have to keep myself entertained, so I have created a culture that is based upon Daddy's entertainment. My wife is not an entertainer, so I have, in no uncertain terms, placed the responsibility of my happiness squarely on my children's little shoulders. They need to learn to give back because I make them laugh all the time.

"Now kids please remember, it's all about Daddy, your goal in life is to entertain ME."

NEXT: Battling burnout. How I do it.