Thoughts on how to be a good dad

By Unknown on Monday, January 11, 2010

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I recently read a great post from Jill at Baby Rabies about what it means to be a mom to a boy. It made me think about what it would be like to be a dad to a girl...because there is a 50/50 chance of that happening to me. But since we don't know what we're having it made me think broader to what is it like to be a dad, and that made me think of what I think a good dad is.

A lot of people tell me that I'm going to be a great dad...I really appreciate the comments. I said before that I probably owe a lot of that to my father because he was, and I'm assuming is still, a total ass. At a young age I learned things that make a bad person and tried to do the opposite.

And I did have some great male role models...and had role models of great dads of friends...but there is a subtle difference there that left me with not truly understanding what a good dad is, if that makes sense.

A quick Google search of "how to be a good dad" will bring a few hits that include things like; start the relationship early, spend time with your children, read to your children and more. I do think all those universal things are important but when I thought of what it takes to be a good dad the answer was...Eggs.

I'm not sure why but I got it into my head that a good dad makes great eggs. I often hear from women that their dads make the best eggs. Or I hear from guys that they learned how to cook eggs from their dad.

It might be a completely irrational thing but that's what I see when I think of a good that in the morning heats up a pan cracks a couple eggs open and serves his family.

Problem is I freaking hate eggs...can't think of the last time I ate one (as an egg or omelet etc, I do have them in tasty cookies and such)...actually I can't think of any time I ate them.

They were around when I was growing up...rumor is my mom makes some awesome deviled eggs. There were also things like fried matzo around which is kind of a cross between french toast made with matzo and scrambled eggs. I do remember tasting a bit once but I think it was spit out.

So if I can't make good eggs how could I be the good dad I see in my head?

I needed to analyze what an eggs are...yes I actually did this.

When I think of that dad making eggs they are often scrambled. They are often a breakfast food...Saturday and Sunday morning food. They could be cooked for breakfast for dinner nights which are the best meals ever. Eggs can be made fast,  they are comfort food and everyone likes them (not everyone.) They can be cooked up late at night if a daughter comes home after being dumped by some boy or for my son who wants to chat about that girl from math class that he saw at the mall and kind of likes but he doesn't know what to say to her.

So what is a good substitue? I think I figured it out...

The waffle.

If you asked me three weeks ago I'd say waffles are the biggest pain in the ass to make...that's because we got a waffle maker for our wedding, five years ago, and only used it twice. I used it once then years later Staci used it. But we never really read the instructions so the waffles were messy, and we never had a good waffle mix so they tasted like Eggos. The waffle maker got put into storage.

Then a few weeks ago we had some friends over for brunch and I was determined to use the waffle maker. I found a mix that looked's called Kodiak Cakes. Looked up the waffle make manual online and gave it one last try. I thought they were awesome. So good.

And they fit all the criteria that I saw in eggs. They are a breakfast food, they can be made any time, they are fast and easy to make. They are a vital part of breakfast for dinner, and everyone loves them. I can make them late night for my daughter if that jackass dumps her or for my son if he needs to chat about that girl from math class that he likes.

Now that waffles are my egg I want to make them mine...I want to figure out a recipe so I can make them from scratch, preferably eggless. I have already been searching recipes and figuring ways to Frankenstein them to make them my own.

So I'm going to add that to my to do list: be a great husband, be an awesome dad and make the best freaking waffles ever.


  1. I am grinning from ear to ear. Scott, my husband and tremendous father to my son, is THE egg maker around here. In fact, he's THE breakfast food maker around here. I am so spoiled by him that he, both Saturday and Sunday, wakes up at 7:30 with our toddler and lets me sleep in. Nevermind that he's woken up at 6 the rest of the week, he lets ME sleep in both days. I've *tried* to trade off with him, but he's a morning person... and he loves breakfast. Specifically, he loves making breakfast for his son.

    I wake up around 9:30 most weekend mornings to the smell of eggs, pancakes and sometimes bacon. My toddler greets me with sticky fingers and hair styled with a smear of syrup, a full belly and a happy disposition. My husband has saved me a plate in the refrigerator. This is our weekly routine.

    You, my friend, will make a GREAT father because it's not about the eggs or the waffles or the pancakes, it's about the love. The love it takes to *want* to get up and spend time with your kid, the love it takes to *know* that your wife wants nothing more than a couple more hours of sleep, the love it takes to even contemplate before your baby enters this world just what will be your breakfast of choice. You will be amazing.

  2. really great post! i smiled to myself as i read along and realized where it was going. just the fact you're putting so much thought into waffles for your unborn child shows you'll make a great dad! sometimes it really is the little things that count the most...

    oh, and regarding your last post - one of my big pet peeves is poorly executed print art! once upon a time i was something resembling an artist (i'm working my way back, slowly but surly), and it still drives me bananas to see the kind of pixilating you described. especially if you're charging money - buy a freaking silk screen, sheesh! (;


  3. Waffles definitely = dad in my family. For sure. I use the following waffle recipe (from Deborah Madison). It's not eggless but it is a good standard that you can add stuff to easily:

    2 cups flour
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 cup melted butter or canola oil
    3 eggs
    1 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
    1 teaspoon vanilla

    Mix the wet ingredients together, combine the dry ingredients and wisk them up so that they are evenly mixed. Mix the two together. Waffles!

    I also like this recipe because it is super easy to remember (I like how the dry ingredient proportions go 2, 1, 1/2, 1/4) so you can make waffles without checking a recipe and this makes a person look very fancy to the casual observer. Which might be key to the good dad bit.

  4. What an awesome post, and so true. Every dad needs their own breakfast niche. Breakfast should be a dad domain.

  5. I think this is the sweetest thing I have ever read. a

  6. I just found your blog and decided to start reading just before your babe is born because we had our first child in January so once I get caught up I imagine we'll have similar things going on.

    Anyway, I love this post. My dad was the breakfast king. During the week growing up my parents took turns getting up. When my mom got up we had cereal and when dad got up we had waffles, eggs, pancakes etc. My husband however is not a breakfast guy, but he's the late night guy and baby loves it.



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