This One's for the Dads 💪
If you are new here — hi, I'm Claudeman. 👋 Wonder Nat's partner, dad to Curious Calliope, and — as of literally any day now — dad times two. 😅
Every year around Father's Day, I get a little reflective. Not in a deep, brooding way — more in a "wait, am I actually doing this right" way. And this year hits different, because in a few weeks I'm going to have two kids depending on me instead of one. No pressure. 🙃
So instead of writing another card-store version of Father's Day — "thanks for the grilling and the dad jokes" — I want to talk about something I've been thinking about a lot lately: what it actually means to take care of your family by taking care of yourself first.
Here's the thing nobody tells you before you become a parent. Watching Nat build her businesses, show up for her clients, and somehow still be an unbelievable mom to Callie — while running on fumes more often than I'd like to admit — taught me something I wish I'd understood sooner.
She can only pour from a full cup. And keeping that cup full isn't just her job. It's mine too.
"One of the most powerful things a dad can do for his kids is stay healthy and strong — and fiercely protect his partner's ability to do the same."
That's not a soft, feel-good statement. That's a strategy. And it took me becoming a dad to really understand it.
Your kids need you present. Strong enough to carry them on your shoulders. Healthy enough to still be doing it in 10 years. Grounded enough to be the calm when everything around them is chaos — which, with a toddler and a newborn incoming, is going to be a lot of chaos. 😂
So here's how I actually try to live this out. Not perfectly. But consistently.
💪 Protect your workout like it's a work meeting
Because it is. You wouldn't cancel a meeting with your boss because you were tired. Don't cancel on yourself either. Even 20 minutes counts. Schedule it, put it on the calendar, and treat it as non-negotiable. The version of you that shows up for your family after you've moved your body is a different — better — version. Your family deserves that version.
🤝 Hold the baby so she can move
This one is simple and it changes everything. If your partner's health matters to you — and it should — then protecting her time to exercise, rest, or just breathe is part of your job. Tag in. Hold down the house. Let her go. You'll both be better for it. This is the love language nobody talks about enough. ❤️
😴 Stop calling exhaustion a badge of honor
Dads have a weird thing where we equate running on empty with being dedicated. It's not. Sleep deprivation makes you slower, shorter-tempered, and less present. Prioritize sleep when you can. Ask for help when you need it. Resting is not weakness — it's maintenance.
🏃 Make movement a family thing
Callie thinks working out is the most normal thing in the world because she's grown up watching us do it. Go for walks. Do floor exercises with your kid climbing on you (free resistance training, highly recommend). Make it something they grow up seeing — because what you model matters more than what you say.
🔁 Start small and stay consistent
You don't need an hour. You don't need a perfect plan. You need something you'll actually do, done regularly over time. Three 20-minute workouts a week beats one perfect hour followed by two weeks of nothing. Progress is built in the boring middle — not the grand gesture. Show up small. Show up often.
I'm not perfect at any of this. Ask Nat — she'll tell you. 😅 But I'm learning that showing up for my family doesn't start with a grand gesture. It starts with the workout I didn't skip, the hour of sleep I protected, the moment I said "I've got her, go take care of yourself."
That's the job. And this Father's Day, I hope you give yourself permission to take it seriously — starting with yourself.
Happy Father's Day, dads. Now go move your body. Your family is watching. ❤️
— Claudeman
Ready to show up strong? Try Claudeman's Upper Body Blast on the Make Me Awesome app — a workout built for dads who want to stay in it for the long haul. No excuses, no hour-long commitment. Just results.
