Parenting Progress in Recovery

AFF Newsletter on Substack #28

Welcome to the AFF Newsletter on Substack.

Even the most natural dads need to work on their skills during their fatherhood journey.

I'm forever learning new things. I'm always looking to improve.

I'm constantly adjusting & readjusting my parenting.

I'm looking to get better and better at my job.

And there is still so much I don't know. There is still so much more I can do to improve.

It's a 24/7 process. And the job is relentless, however enjoyable it may be.

Sometimes, and I'm just being honest with you, I make it a lot harder than it needs to be.

I allow my frustrations to show too easily.

I don't speak as calmly as I'd like all the time.

I often joke around when sometimes a more serious tone is necessary.

I huff and puff too much.

I know my flaws and I know my strengths.

But without sobriety, my fatherhood journey would be made even more complicated and difficult.

As some said to me on Twitter, "Being drunk is like trying to be a father on hard mode, actually nightmare mode really, and it's a game you don't win."

This is so true. I've said this many times when talking about hangovers and kids.

Alcohol makes our jobs as fathers much harder than it needs to be.

Battling addiction handicaps your parenting.

I know I can be a great dad, especially now I'm sober. But I don't think I'd have the same confidence if I was still drinking.

I know my alcohol intake would have proven to be a great hindrance to my ability to parent the way I envisioned.

And since getting sober, and working more on my recovery, I feel like I'm at least operating close to where I'd like to be.

I'm not perfect, but I'm definitely making progress... something I would never have done when I was still knocking back copious amounts of booze.

Take care and have a great day,

AFF