First and foremost, it’s been exactly 10 days since you were born; and as I look at you laying next to me on your Boppy Pillow, you’re still alive so I would say I passed my first test as a parent!

You’re already special because you’re our first child and we’ve chosen to name you Kinsley Tarryn Spry.

I guess if I could sum up all of the emotions I’ve felt over the past week or so, I would say “I’ve never known love like this!”

Before you were born I heard all kinds of stories about how you were going to have me wrapped around your finger and blah blah blah… Well, I must say, the moment you opened those beautiful, big, bright eyes and looked at me, I realized those stories were right.

You’ve got me talking baby talk, wanting to hold you all day, and not even minding your poop filled diapers every hour on the hour (that’s what it seems like), or your 0-100 crying all through the night. It’s like you were born, then suddenly something clicked, and a man who has never really been too fond of or great with kids is seeing the world in a whole new light when it comes to youngsters.

The truth is, even though I’m in love with you as my daughter, the person I fell even more in love with during this process is your mother.

She was an absolute champ while carrying you and while birthing you and what you don’t know is that she was nurturing you and raising you before you were ever even able to cry or breast feed. She is going to be an awesome mom; you just make sure you’re an awesome daughter!

This process has birthed a few promises that I want to make to you and your mom.

1) I promise to protect the both of you with everything I have. I know I have to give you room to grow and make mistakes but I won’t allow anyone to disrespect you or your mom.

2) I promise to always respect your mother because without her there would be no YOU. She deserves the best and my best.

3) I promise to always be there. I understand that life happens and sometimes we get spread thin, but I want you to know that daddy will be there with you always. Sometimes, maybe not physically but you will always have me in your corner one way or another.

4) I promise to provide for you and your mother in order to give you the best chance at this thing called life. NO that doesn’t mean I will spoil you and you won’t have to work for anything but it does mean that I will provide enough to give you opportunity to grow, explore, and feel safe.

5) I promise to be a good example. Yeah I’m sure you will get rebellious at some point and decide that you want to date everybody who isn’t like your dad but it won’t stop me from trying to show you what a healthy and loving relationship looks like. I want you to know love and I want your standards to be set high.

6) I promise to be emotionally available for you. I’ve gotta admit Kinsley that as a man I’m a fixer and sometimes I’m going to want to fix when you will just want me to listen. Your mom knows this all too well but I am learning and growing so bare with me please little lady!

7) I promise to tell you I love you. Kinsley understand I didn’t grow up saying the “L” love a lot but over the years I’ve learned how it important it is for the ones you love to hear it. If you need to hear it more make sure you let daddy know.

While I know I’m only 10 days into this fatherhood journey, I know I have a lot to learn, and I know I’ll make some mistakes.  But I hope this post will serve in two ways. First, I want my daughter to read this one day to let her know I plan to keep all of my promises.

Secondly, if you are a father out there and maybe you’ve found yourself getting away from some of these promises, I hope that you will recommit yourself. Our children need us and our daughters need our presence, our protection, and our love.

Finally, they need to see and feel what a healthy relationship with their mom looks like. Don’t let someone else set the standard when it could be you!

BMWK Parents what promises do you make your children?