When you became a father, you were more than likely in awe of the great responsibilities that you have for your newborn. Overnight your world changes – you now must financially provide for your family, be a positive influence and role model and put another being’s needs above your own. You have a lot to carry on your shoulders: work and family life must be juggled while you maintain a safe and secure environment for your child to thrive in, but within all that responsibility and parenthood, your inner youthfulness continues.
How can you keep hold of all that you once held dear in spite of being a parent? Here are 5 tips to keepsight of the person that you were before kids, from films to music, to fashion and friends.
1. Music
You may no longer be up until the early hours playing music that shakes the foundations, but that does not mean that you no longer can enjoy your music. With quiet time needed in the house and the very real chance of waking your sleeping baby, you need to invest in some quality headphones. Not only can you experience superior sound quality that is a world apart from the headphones of your youth, but they also have the added bonuses of being wireless and having noise-cancellingtechnology – not even a crying baby will interrupt your tunes.
2. Films
Revisit the films that you watched while you were growing up, and we don’t mean the Disney variety. There are some amazing films that accurately capturethe attitude, music and fashions of the day, and what it meant to be young, footloose and carefree. An evening watching nostalgic films will transport back to your formative years and remind you of good times. If you grew up in the 80s, then think of the Brat Pack, or if you were a teenager in the 90s, Pulp Fiction, The Matrix, and Fight Club were absolute classics.
3. Fashions
Everybody has their favourite era for fashion, and if you had much-loved garments that didn’t withstand the years of use, you can now source authentic replacements of your favourite clothes from online retro clothing stores. The great thing about fashion is that it's cyclical, so the paisley shirts you may have worn are back in fashion, along with anything 90s inspired!
4. Football
Ok, so you may not be as fit as you once were, and you may have gained a few extra pounds here and there, but that is no reason to get back into the beautiful game. Man v Fat is a nationwidefootball league geared towards helping men lose weight while playing the game that they love. Relive your youth by kicking the ball around amongst friends, or seeing a match at a stadium you used to frequent when young.
5. Friends
When you get caught up in busy family life, it can be easy to neglect old friendships. Take time out of your schedule and plan to spend a weekend with your old pals. Even though you may not have seen them for years, you will soon slip back into your friendship roles and justhave a laugh. Reminiscing over pastimes is a great way to reconnect with who you were and who you still are.
Life is for living, and it can easily turn into a regime of all work and no play. There is great value to be gained by reflecting on shared histories and things that were so important to you in the past – it’s what made you the man you are today!
