I became a dad on February 6, 2013. I remember being terrified of screwing up and not knowing what to do so I bought a bunch of parenting books so I could attempt to become an expert before my son was born. I actually did read a couple of them, but nothing could actually prepare me for the unforgettable moment that I first saw my son's fuzzy little head being squeezed out of my wife. I remember that I was so overwhelmed with emotion. I felt as if I had had an empty expanse within me that was suddenly flooded with an unexplainable amount of love for this little person that I had just barely met.
As my boy grew older and we eventually had another four years later, I began to realize that many people seem to believe that dads are incapable morons who shouldn't be trusted to be alone with their own kids. Before I became a dad, I never noticed how dads were portrayed in movies, tv sitcoms, books, commercials, etc. However, I did notice the strange looks and comments from random strangers whenever I would leave the house alone with my boys. My eyes were opened even more when I became a stay at home dad and a full-time student. It seemed that people were amazed that I would have the courage (or audacity) to venture out of the house without my wife supervising me.
I began to get frustrated with how dads are portrayed, so I decided that I wanted to start this blog as a way to give people a different perspective of what a real-life dad is. I decided to name it: "The Capable Dad" because the word capable is defined as the ability to do something. As Wade Boggs once said, "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad."
I'm not perfect, but I am capable.
-Richie (The Capable Dad)
