An Attuned Dad

April 30, 2021

This guy.  It’s his day.

As hard as taking a step back from work was, it came with so many gifts.  One of the gifts came quickly. 

I have never been around on weekday mornings with the kids.  We have always had incredible people who loved on them and got them ready for school each day.  When school started back up this fall, Jon was working from home so he took over the morning routine. 

And I got the privilege of witnessing it for the first time in December. 

He got the kids up much earlier than they needed to so they had all the time they needed to eat, get ready for school, and have time to play together outside.  He made sure their health screenings were done, patiently talked with each one about what they would like for lunch and snack and then made it happen, went through each item they needed for the day when the kids asked him to help them “check them,” stood at the mirror to work with Nathanael to get his hair just the way he wanted it that day, and our typically anxious kids left the house calm and happy.

As we got in the car, he turned the radio off.  He was positive and upbeat as he talked.  When we turned onto the school campus, instead of turning into the lot for Nathanael’s school the way all the other cars were going, he instead went to Rebekah’s school first.  As I started to question this, he gave me a signal of reassurance, knowing he would explain later.  We dropped a very quiet Rebekah off, sending her with good wishes for the day.

And then we pulled into Nathanael’s school, one of the last ones to arrive.  He was warmly greeted and went into school happy and confident.

Jon then explained how he had made many shifts in their morning routine to be responsive to each of the needs of our kids, like keeping the radio off in the car because it was helpful for one child.  The one that struck me most was literally going against the traffic flow to make sure one child got to school a few minutes earlier because he knew that child got anxious when the person greeting children at the door often began to hurry children as the time for drop off went along. 

He has become so attentive to the kids and I, is working to put himself on his own list, and is sharing what he is learning as he grows.  Cheers to you, Jon!! We are so grateful you were born and for who you are!!!