Our 821st Dad in the Limelight is Radio DJ, Tony Conrad. I want to thank Tony Conrad for being a part of this series. It has been great getting connected with him and now sharing Tony Conrad with all of you.
1) Tell me about yourself, (as well as how you are in the limelight for my readers knowledge)
I’m a country radio DJ for 92.5 NASH Icon in Des Moines, IA. I can be heard weekdays 10am – 3pm and Saturdays from Noon to 4pm. I’ve been with the station nearly 25 years and bring part of my being a Dad to the radio every afternoon when I share a Bad Dad Joke. It’s something my listeners love and support by sending me jokes to share on the radio. I usually test them out on my kids first. If I can get them to laugh, groan, or roll their eyes I know the joke is a winner.
I also oversee the continuity and commercial production for 92.5 NASH Icon and the four other radio stations in our cluster. When I’m not working I stay active keeping up with my busy family and serving on various Church and community committees. I also like to help out with their dance teams doing everything from helping with props to editing music.
Faith, family and technology are what matter most to me and that’s what I’ve focused on for more than three years on my blog.
2) Tell me about your family
My wife and I met at college and celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this past Summer. We’ve got two teenage daughters, 13 and almost 16. They’re both active in dance and church activities and my youngest is also involved in any sport she can squeeze into her schedule. My wife manages the men’s clothing section for a larger retailer.
3) What has been the largest challenge you have had in being a father?
Getting over the feeling that I need to be perfect. I’m a bit of a perfectionist so it’s a constant battle for me.
Another thing I struggle with is helping my kids have the right balance between having downtime and their extracurricular activities. In my opinion, things are becoming way too competitive for kids these days. There’s always another camp, or team, or lessons they could be involved in. You see other kids doing it all and you fear that your kids will be left out, miss out, or get left behind skillwise if they don’t do the same things. It’s a struggle that’s gotten harder as they’ve gotten older and something I really don’t have an answer for.
4) What advice would you give to other fathers?
The two best pieces of advice I could give other fathers is first, show up. Doesn’t matter what it is. Be there, every chance you can, in the moment for your kids. Even if it’s something you’re not into or good at. Your kids won’t remember that. They’ll remember you being there.
My second piece of advice would be to teach your kids to cook. It might sound silly but there are so many lessons that can be taught when you cook together. Counting, fractions, reading, following instructions… the list goes on and on. Plus, you’ll have some of the best conversations while you cook. There’s just something about working together on a task that leads to great talks.
The big pay-off will happen down the road when your kids are making meals for your family. Recently, my oldest made lasagna all by herself. Usually that’s an occasional weekend meal for us that we make together because of the effort and time it takes to prepare and bake. It was an early out school day so my daughter had the time. It was nice to come home to a great meal.
5) How have you come to balance parenthood and outside life?
This one’s been hard for me. I’ve suffered from parental guilt for missing some things but my girls are quick to reassure me that it’s OK not to be at every little event. It’s easier now that they’re older. I’ve found it best to have honest conversations with them about their wishes and the realities of our schedules. Turns out, there are some things they really don’t care if I miss but others that are very important to them that I be there. Working together to manage expectations helps keep everyone happy.
6) What have you learned from the fathers that you have interacted with?
That we’re all a lot alike. We all have some of the same fears and anxieties when it comes to parenting. That we all put a lot of pressure on ourselves because we don’t want to mess up. That many of us get so caught up working hard and trying to be a good dad that we forget what it’s like to be a good friend… letting good friendships wither away. A lot of guys I know, myself included, miss having a close guy friend they can grab a beer with or just simply vent to.
7) What else would you share regarding your experiences as a father thus far?
If you’re married, part of being a good father is also being a good husband. Early on, my wife and I spent nearly all our time and effort on our kids and hardly any on our relationship. We went years without a night out. I wouldn’t say our relationship suffered because of it but we certainly didn’t give it extra time to thrive. Now that our kids are older we’ve realized the importance of some “away time” and date nights. It helps us to be better spouses… and ultimately, better parents.
8) What have been the most memorable experiences that you have had thus far as a parent?
For me the most memorable experiences are the little moments. It’s a tiny hand reaching up to grab yours on a walk. The quick hug and a pep talk before they go on stage to dance or on the court to play ball. It’s watching them succeed and celebrate with their friends. Seeing my kids happy makes me happy.
That said, one of the coolest, most memorable experiences with my kids happened a couple years ago at a Taylor Swift concert. My daughters are huge fans of hers. Not only did we end up with great seats but I was able to get us backstage to meet Taylor. My daughters were on cloud 9, Taylor was gracious chatting with them for a few quick seconds, and my daughters thought I was the coolest dad ever that night.
If you have any questions for Tony Conrad, please leave a comment here and I will make sure that he gets them so that he may be able to respond!
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