Dads in the Limelight – Rob Taylor of 2 Travel Dads

My name is Rob Taylor and I’m just one of a two-dad pair. It’s odd to talk about me without talking about him. I’m the primary caretaker of our two little guys and manage our family business. I’m the teach for homeschooling, I’m the carpenter for home stuff and the gardener for the outdoors. All of it together is actually tons of fun and gives me ample opportunity to spend time with our kids and teach them cool, useful skills. We have a pretty sweet setup.

My husband and I have been together for 13 years and have two awesome kids via surrogacy after a friend offered her uterus. Good times. We get to spend a lot of time traveling thanks to the travel blog, and take an approach of worldschooling. While the kids are both growing up pretty quickly, our oldest, Oliver, is really coming into his own. Today he announce that he wants to be a horticulturalist and own his own nursery someday. Business owner AND taking care of the earth?!? Amazing guy! Elliott, our youngest is still figuring out who he is. The only thing he knows for sure is that he loves The Greatest Showman and wants to be kind to everybody and everything. Such a sweet kiddo. And then Chris. Chris, aka Papa, is amazing. His job takes him all over the country (and we get to go with him quite a bit) but despite his own travels, it’s always very clear that he’d rather be with us than experiencing life on the road. He’s both an incredible dad and caring husband. We’re all very fortunate.

I think that keeping myself in check on a daily basis is tough when things get stressful. I grew up with a father who made it clear what type of dad I would never be, and in times when the kids aren’t listening, aren’t being kind, or whatever, I have to remember to only show love and teach them the proper way to interact with other human beings. Facing the fear that someday our kids might think about me the way I think about my dad is tough, but it helps to keep me in check and acting in kindness at all times.

Patience with kids is always the best option. You can tell when a child is pushing the envelope just to get your goat and when they genuinely need to work through whatever is frustrating them in life. Every kid learns at their own pace, and not just when it comes to book-learnin’, but when it comes to communicating their emotions and processing directions. Without patience neither you nor your family will be happy with each other.

Ensuring that I feel like I’m contributing to our family besides in raising the kids and running the house, which is huge, has helped me feel like I still have a part of the “me” that I was before I was a dad. I know that my contribution to our family is primarily with being a stay-at-home dad, but being able to run a business that I’m proud of and directly support our family’s goals and plans makes me feel great and like I’m still an individual. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE being a dad, but every parent has more to them than just their role as a parent.

The primary father I ever interact with isn’t one of my buddies or a neighbor or something, but it’s my father-in-law. He’s the most incredible man who looks out for and is a great support to his whole family. I’ve learned directly from him what it means to be there for people and how to show love and also influence others through kindness. He’s got the biggest, most available heart and our kids look to him as an example and friend.

Every single day will have a surprise in it, mostly good. Sure, there will be days where the surprise is that you’re not 100% done potty training (no matter how long it’s been since the last diaper), but then there are days when you’re watching your kids play with a stranger and pull a random act of kindness. It’s surprising to see how the kids have become friends with each other and how they help each other. Lastly, it’s surprising when they talk about the grand scheme of life, including them becoming parents or even death. Just know that being a parent is shocking and wonderful everyday.

Getting to travel all over with the kids and watching them experience things for the first time is unforgettable. The first time we went through customs and our oldest had hilarious questions, the first time meeting Mickey Mouse and being terrified, the first time we got to visit Yellowstone as a family… The most memorable though was when our youngest was born and Oliver got to meet his new brother for the first time. He said he was cute and then moved on; it was hilarious, but perfect.