Dr Patrick Aouad
CEO, CU Health
Advice: Patience is very important. Everything will not go to plan and babies do not care about your schedule or outlook calendar. Remember that your kids are your “why” and that will put things in perspective. They don’t know how much you earn, they just know how much time you spend with them. Learn to work flexibly - be opportunistic with your time. Your partner will suddenly have far more immediate priorities than you, so get ready to share. Speak to other new dads - you’re not alone and the rule books are always changing. I hope you enjoy cuddles - because in the early days, that’s the best bit. The more you put in, the more you get out and changing nappies is not really that bad.
Dad career highlights: Being a dad is exhausting and amazing. It’s not a short term achievement; being a good dad, it’s a lifelong commitment - when it comes to blending that with career and our own ambitions it can get tricky - but at the end of the day it just takes a lot of work to do both well. None of us want to regret not giving our careers the best shot, nor do we want to regret how we father. Often, how we are doing in our careers gives us a lot of self-esteem and self confidence which my kids take a lot of strength from - it also motivates me to be a better dad. Bottom line is - our careers and the rewards they bring are best shared with our loved ones and as my kids grow up, I’m looking forward to sharing the benefits and lessons from my career with them - so that they have an amazing foundation to build their own life on.