Featured Father #6

Tony V.
Financial Planner

1. How did you meet you partner/wife? 

Commodore night club…..but we formally got to know each other at Blenz coffee

2. What was your first feeling & thought when you found out that your partner was pregnant? 

Extremely happy! After seeing my wife struggle through 16 hours of labour it was definitely rewarding to see the little person we have created.

3. What was your reaction when you found out the gender of your child? 

We were going to be happy if it was a boy or a girl. But now that she has grown, I definitely feel having a girl first will be very beneficial to helping our second child. She is demonstrating that she can be a very good big sister.

4. How did you come up with your child(ren) name(s)? 

My wife and I reviewed many names and slowly knocked certain ones off the list. When we saw her we just knew it was the right name.

5. How did you prepare yourself to become a father? 

I'm not sure you can really prepare yourself for this. The key is to remember you are their example in life. You need to behave in a manner that you want them to be. For example, I need to remember that I am the man that she will reference when she is old enough to find that right man. Vice versa. I need to be the man that I want my boy to one day be.

6. How do you balance your work and family life? 

I am very fortunate to have a supportive wife who helps me balance my schedule. When I schedule my meetings at work, I try to ensure they are earlier in the day so I can get home for dinner. I also block certain times off several days a week to make sure I am not booked.

7. If you had a super power, what would it be? 

Every child lives life happy and painless. Ever since I became a parent my whole perspective of life has changed. It hurts when I hear or see a child who doesn't have the support and love of their family.

8. Word of advice to other fathers to be: 

Be patient and listen to your wife. They really do know what's best for your child.