Nobody really prepares you for how much mental math goes into balancing a demanding job with actually being present as a dad. It’s less about time management and more about attention management.
I used to think the goal was squeezing in more hours with my kids. Now I think the goal is making the hours I do have fully count — phone away, actually present, even if it’s just 20 focused minutes.
Work will always expand to fill the time you give it. Setting a hard stop for the day was uncomfortable at first, but it forced me to get better at prioritizing instead of just working longer.
The best advice I’ve gotten on this topic: your kids won’t remember most of the days, but they’ll remember the patterns. Show up consistently, even imperfectly, and that becomes the foundation they trust.