One of the things that first surprised me about fatherhood was how surreal it felt to be a “dad”. It seemed so strange when I stopped to consider that I was now a father, especially during the first few weeks after we brought Parker home.

Here’s the thing, though: the ACT of being a father has felt natural to me since the moment my son was born. When the boy cries, I want to hold him. When he has a dirty diaper, I want to change it. When he’s hungry, I want to feed him. I’ve never wanted to be one of those dads who didn’t know how to do stuff, so I’ve taken it upon myself to be as involved as possible.

I shared these thoughts with my Dad, and he told me that I was “feeling the responsibility of fatherhood even though the title wasn’t sitting right yet.” He nailed it.

It took a month or two, but I’m finally comfortable with the concept that I am, in fact, a father. The title no longer feels “weird” to me.

Are you a parent? How long did it take for you to feel comfortable with your parental title?