Tag Archives: ocd

The First Thing I Do Every Day as a Stay-At-Home Dad

vacuum, cleaning, stay-at-home  parent
Use me, don’t abuse me.

Yep, I vacuum, after peeing of course. What, were you expecting some inspirational or motivational task that maybe you could add to your routine?

Sorry if so, but vacuuming should be a part of any household with pets and kids scurrying across the floor. I’ll admit, I was hair-phobic long before we had Avery and would vacuum almost every day already. But now that I’m at home, I feel it my duty to prepare the floors for Avery to crawl run around without collecting gobs of cat or dog hair in the process.

Seeing a cluster of hair whisk across our wood floors sends my already elevated cortisol levels through the roof! To ease everyone’s panic (i.e. just mine) I’m quick to bust out the vacuum for that one cluster and rid the house of its evil.

And then, even if I had just vacuumed, I might as well keep going “just in case” to make sure we’re safe. That is, until the cat comes out for food or our dog wags her tail.

I’m currently averaging a full vacuum twice a day with one first thing in the morning and another mid-afternoon. I don’t “get” to vacuum as much on the weekends because my wife yells at me for being too obsessive. What? Me, OCD? Nahhhhh. Okay, Yahhhhh.

Admittedly, the second one is partly for the crumbs I dropped while cooking meals for all of us and from Avery spitting her food out. Sometimes, pretending she’s a kitty doesn’t even get her to keep the food in her mouth!

No Dad, how about YOU be the kitty this time.
No Dad, how about YOU be the kitty this time.

Either way, one of the animals, real or pretend, create a need for me vacuum a second (sometimes even a third or fourth) time for the day. I can’t pinpoint exactly when my aversion to pet hair started since we used to have a husky named Rocky who would sit on the couch with us and I was just fine. Loved that dog……and our cat, Gus.

In Timeout
In Timeout

I think it began around the same time I started getting really into healthy food choices and cooking more instead of going out to eat. Handling food more often means I need to keep my hands clean and free of hair, so it only seems logical. At least to me it does.

Anyway, most mornings I start my day with a nice run of the vacuum to capture loose hair, litter, food, and whatever else lays in the path of the almighty vacuum!

I suck.
I suck.

After that, Avery has a wonderfully clean floor (yeah right) to run around on as I go about doing my second (and third and fifth) thing I do every day; cook. The fourth being exercise, duh.

Ummm, dad, you missed a spot.
Ummm, dad, you missed a spot.

Do you have a daily routine/habit/OCD tendency?

How do you feel about pet hair? My mom (G-Ma) and Kelley are just fine with it, so I’m alone with this aversion around here.

How My Broken Foot is Making Me a Better Dad

Are you someone who depends on having a plan? You feel anxious or even worried if you don’t have something laid out for the next day or two?

This is basically how I have been for the past few years, and it mostly revolves around exercise and food. I “need” to know what workout I’m doing the next day, and exactly how my food is prepared which is why I prefer making all of my own meals.

Obsessive? Probably, but it’s better than how I used to go out to eat frequently and would order fast food without ever questioning where the so called “food” came from or it’s actual nutritional profile. So I’m okay with obsessive.

For exercise, I could definitely tone it down, but it’s almost like an addiction. I feel a sense of relief and well-being after finishing a good lifting or HIIT session and refuse to give it up. When I didn’t have a set routine planned out for the day, I could always count on running to give me my “fix.” But then it happened, a stress fracture in my left foot. #damn

At least someone enjoys "the boot"
At least someone enjoys “the boot”

And of course running is the main culprit, and I’m sure daily burpees took their toll on my 4th metatarsal. So, now something I did every day must be put on hold for 2+ months. This is an OCD person’s nightmare!

Daily burpees no more
Daily burpees no more

Or so I think; I’m not really sure if I’m full-blown OCD, but I’m sure Going Mom would say otherwise. If, before my injury, I was told I could no longer run or do most weight bearing activities, I’d become an instant basket-case. As it turns out, I’m actually handling it quite well…..I think.

Instead of running, I ride my bike on a trainer in the garage or go for a swim in the neighborhood pool. The pool will close soon, but Kelley, Avery, and I made good use of it last week.

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I’m so thankful to my lovely wife for coming down with me and watching Avery as I swam laps. I think Avery enjoyed it too!

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I was worried the fractured foot would not allow me squat or deadlift like I normally do for lifting session, but it’s actually helped. Since proper form when squatting/deadlifting is to keep most of your weight on your heels, I am forced to do so and am getting  better workout as a result. That weight that used to be light, really gets heavy when lifting the right way!

Instead of my daily 31 burpees, I am now doing 31 1-legged squats per leg each day. Not only are they harder, but now I’m working different muscles and feeling it a lot more! Change is good.

What does all of this have to do with becoming a better dad? Well, although I still have the “need” for exercise and am specific about my food, I have learned that I’m able to adapt to changes. Just ask my wife, she’ll agree without hesitation that I am stubborn about getting in a workout for the day and if we have to go out to eat, it’s always a battle. I still have a way’s to go, for sure, but I’m making changes and realize the world is not falling apart and I’m still healthy.

I have found that my training doesn’t have to be so intense all of the time and now I spend more time with Avery instead of brewing on the next workout or spending another 20 minutes grinding it out in the garage. Avery is usually very cooperative when in the garage with me, but now I can hang out with her inside and play with her more.

Working out doesn’t have to be full of complicated moves, and now I’m keeping things basic by lifting heavy weights followed by a quick conditioning routine and then done; playtime with Avery.

Another at-home dad and I have teamed with the City Dads Group to start our own Dallas Dads Group and we’ll have our first meetup this Saturday, the 13th. Prior to my injured foot, I was worried some of the meetings might interfere with my training plans, but now that’s not a big deal.

The top priority is making time for Avery and my wife; working out doesn’t have to be set in stone. Plus, I’m sure playing with Avery at the various meetup locations will be more than enough exercise. Especially as she keeps getting closer and closer to walking.

Now I’m more excited than ever to start bringing Avery to our Dallas Dads Group meetings, and hope to meet a lot of other great dads and their kids along the way. Going Mom will readily agree I still have a ways to go, but progress is progress, and I’m heading in the right direction! Maybe I can teach our baby how to leave the rug flat so daddy’s broken foot doesn’t trip!

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Teaching myself how to adapt to changes and not stress so much is vital to being the awesome dad I aspire to be, and thanks to my broken foot, I’m getting there; one step limp at a time.

Have you ever had a setback due to an injury?

How did you adjust while in recovery?