Our 740th Dad in the Limelight is Ori Alon from the Center for Supportive Bureaucracy. I want to thank Ori Alon for being a part of this series. It has been great getting connected with him and now sharing Ori Alon with all of you.
1) Tell me about yourself, (as well as how you are in the limelight for my readers knowledge)
My name is Ori Alon and I am the Director and Founder of the Center for Supportive Bureaucracy (Empowering Clerks Network), an international organization specializes in developing and issuing official Playful Paperwork documents. Some of the documents we offer are Joy Permits (valid for 6 months and then can be easily renewed online or using white out), Forgiver’s Licenses (Class A allows forgiving oneself and others, Class B is meant for forgiving others only), OK Parent Awards, Certified Apology Declarations, Refurbished Report Cards, Village Fool Diplomas, Pain Deeds, Adults Special Achievement Stickers, Compassion Master and Caregiver of the Year trophies, official POSTED signs and many more. Visit www.supportivebureaucrac
2) Tell me about your family
I’m married to Ana, a documentary filmmaker (Fresh is her most recent one about the sustainable food movement, she’s working on a documentary about childhood trauma now), we unschool Maayan (7), Sasha (5) and Zakai (3). We have some structured classes and babysitting time but without family nearby, we have a busy schedule.
3) What has been the largest challenge you have had in being a father?
My workload has gotten very big these past 2 years developing and facilitating the ECN (we issued some 100,000 documents around the country, I also travel to various national events, for example I issued Racism Release Forms and Open Carry permits for musical instruments at the RNC and Trump rallies). It’s often hard to stay focus on my kids, help them manage their own challenges and sibling rivalries and be present with them when my mind is busy with the creative bureaucratic process. I remember being much more present with them the first few years of parenting. Creating healthy boundaries between work and family is the hardest challenge for me now.
4) What advice would you give to other fathers?
Play with your children. Make art together as they’re the best creative spirits out there – don’t worry about the results just pick up crayons and see what happens, without a plan or a goal. I know it’s a cliche but it’s true – let them teach you (‘they grow fast’ is another accurate cliche). For us using Non Violent Communication (NVC) techniques and practices helped tremendously to communicate as a family and I highly recommend it to anyone (parents or non parents). We go every year to the Family Heart Camp , a week long summer camp for families where we can spend the best quality time as a family and improve our parenting skills (apparently it’s a skill you have to learn and get better at, no matter what parenting philosophy you choose. I had no idea..)
5) How have you come to balance parenthood and outside life?
I haven’t 
It’s an ongoing challenge, and pretty much each day I’m with the kids I struggle to stay present with them. When I do (I get better with that I think) It’s highly rewarding. It’s like a spiritual practice I guess, the more you put into it the clearer and better experience you have. I find it funny that most of my work is making adults giggle and behave a little like children but it’s a challenge for me to access it with my own kids sometimes. Some of my documents, like the Refurbished Report Card and the Free Play Admission Ticket are specifically made for children or about childhood experiences, and in that sense having kids helped my work and I hope the opposite is happening too – I issued my kids personal DIY Certificates of Recognition (I issue it as an interview where they tell me about what they like about themselves, then we find a witness and emboss the document with the official golden ECN Seal of Approval) and trophies with their names and qualities engraved on them which I think was very meaningful for them.
6) What have you learned from the fathers that you have interacted with?
First, I’m surrounded by fathers who are deeply engaged with their kids, it’s so different compared to only one generation ago. I’m often impressed by the patience and parenting skills of my fellow dads (or learn how I want to parent differently when I see things I disagree with). I’m jealous of parents with good organizational skills and mostly have a lot of compassion for all parents I see as I know how hard it is and impossible to ‘get it right’.
7) What else would you share regarding your experiences as a father thus far?
Our youngest one is three years old, not a baby anymore, and the oldest one does behave sometimes like a teenager. We’re not going to have another one, and it’s sad, as these were such magical years and it seems like they’ve gone so fast.. As much as it gets easier as they’re older, I so miss the early years.
What have been the most memorable experiences that you have had thus far as a parent?
We home-birthed our three kids, and it was a miraculous experience. The snuggling with them as babies. When they first made eye contact. The look in their eyes when they make artworks that are beautiful and creative. Their first bike ride without training wheels. When they develop friendships and unique personality – when they’re really becoming their own human beings.
If you have any questions for Ori Alon, 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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