I'm a dad of women who has no drawback doing female actions with them. I've discovered what's most necessary is assembly our children the place they’re.

• Mason Smith has two daughters, ages 2 and 6.
• His days with them embody doing hair and nails.
• He grew up with 11 siblings and appreciates assembly his daughters the place they’re. 

This as-told-to essay relies on a dialog with Mason Smith. The next has been edited for size and readability.

When my daughter Berkeley was a toddler, I labored six days every week. On my in the future off, my spouse Shelby labored as a hairdresser. So, Berkeley and I began having daddy-and-daughter Saturdays. 

On these days, we did what Berkeley needed. Sometimes, these weren’t actions you’d anticipate a 20-something man to be doing. We might chat over espresso or go get our nails finished. We performed with hair colour and non permanent tattoos. 

I began filming our adventures, considering of it as kind of a digital diary. I by no means imagined that different folks would have an interest, however after just a few months it took off. Immediately we’ve got 2.6 million followers on TikTok. 

My mother and father taught me the best way to make youngsters really feel liked, although there have been many people

I’ve 11 siblings. I slept in a triple bunk, in a room that I shared with 4 of my brothers. Rising up, one on one time with my mother and father was uncommon. However when it occurred, my mother and father had been very intentional about it. 

That is the power I attempt to convey to my daughters. Again when Berkeley and I solely had in the future every week collectively I needed to ensure that these hours actually counted. If Berkeley and her sister Hadley look again on these movies after they’re older, I hope they see that I genuinely liked and cared about them above the whole lot else.

I additionally ensure that to infuse loads of enjoyable. Sooner or later Berkeley was anxious about going to the physician, as a result of she knew she wanted pictures. So, I had a shock after I picked her up for the appointment: our whole minivan was stuffed with balls — I had remodeled it right into a ball pit on wheels. 

I used to be discovering random plastic balls within the automobile for months. However it was solely value it when Berkeley mentioned I made her really feel a lot better about her pictures that day. At that second, I needed to cry. 

I’ve at all times been comfy with the female

It isn’t too usually that you just see a dad doing the factor that mothers do daily. However I’ve at all times been comfy doing female issues. Once I discovered that Berkeley was a lady, I grew my hair lengthy in order that I might know the best way to fashion and look after my daughter’s locks. 

Now, I do hair and nails as a result of that is what Berkeley and Hadley love. I need different dads to know it is OK to satisfy your youngsters the place they’re. Do what’s enjoyable for them reasonably than anticipating them to take part in your pursuits. I am completely high-quality being the person who exhibits as much as work with painted glittery nails if it places a smile on my youngsters’ faces. 

It doesn’t matter what, you are by no means going to remorse spending time together with your youngsters. No 85-year-old has ever seemed again and regretted that water gun battle or time spent on the playground when their youngsters had been younger. 

Influencers are identified for attempting to promote issues. However every day, I get non-public messages from dads telling me that I impressed them to do one thing with their youngsters. That is the actual level of my influencing — to assist folks be higher mother and father. I hope my women can have a look at this group and see that their dad helped create pleasure on this planet. 

Time with my youngsters is my precedence

On the identical time, I need Berkeley and Hadley to know the worth of laborious work. As of late I break up my time between content material creation and property administration. I’ve much more work/life steadiness than I did when Berkeley was youthful. However I nonetheless suppose it is crucial that the women see me working at one thing I am obsessed with. 

I am proud to be a part of this new era of dads. We work laborious, however we do it carefully. We’re not afraid to make high quality time with our households our precedence.