These dads share what it’s like having a kid in their 20s
When people are in their 20s, there are endless plans that await them. One can dream of traveling the world, taking up a master’s degree, or maybe even starting a company. However, somewhere in the middle of all that, there are people who, by choice or by the universe’s will, are meant to be a dad, a papa, an ama, a tatay — a father.
In line with this year’s Father’s Day, four individuals in their 20s share stories about their lives as young (and cool) dads. From the moment they figured out they were going to be a father to the common misconceptions of other people, they lay it all out for us to hear.
Steven Toribio | 22 years old
Even if Steven has an 11-month-old baby boy, he believes that he can still enjoy the prime years of his life. He said, ‘Having a kid doesn’t mean you won’t get to enjoy your 20s. You just have to be more responsible than the average [20-year-old’s], and being responsible doesn’t mean you have less fun.’
Steven reminisced how he felt when he went to the OB with his partner, ‘[The] OB was trying to look for a heartbeat to confirm if she was really pregnant, and hearing that first heartbeat was a swirl of mixed emotions of worrying, fear, excitement, and happiness.’
He also shared, ‘Being more financially stable beforehand would be something I would have done differently, but other than I wouldn’t change a thing.’
While there are fun times, Steven admits that he faced some struggles as well. He’s still in the early dad stage of figuring out why his baby is grumpy, and he’s more tired due to the lack of sleep. However, seeing his kid laugh trumps all of the challenges. He explained that seeing his little boy giggle is the best stress reliever.
In true Gen-Z dad fashion, Steven also mentioned, ‘I’m so excited to introduce him to all my geeky obsessions like seeing him watch Star Wars for the first time or the first Avengers movie.’
Joshua De Sequera | 23 years old
Joshua is a real estate agent by day and an avid Cocomelon watcher with his son at night. Among all the fathers on this list, he recently just started putting the dad cap on since his son is only 7-months-old.
‘There was something in me that just [knew] this was the perfect time for me and my partner to start a family,’ Joshua recalled the very moment he was officially a dad. ‘Our families loved the idea of us having a baby, so that was not a problem.’
More than anything, Joshua is proud to be a dad at a young age, ‘When my kid grows up, we wouldn’t be different in terms of keeping up with trends and such, but we would do all these trends together as father and son.’
He also highlights that age doesn’t equate to how one can be prepared to become a parent, ‘It doesn’t matter how old you are if you are. 20, 23, 29, as long as you know yourself that you can give your kid a better life than you ever had.’
Denzel Timbol | 25 years old
It all started when Denzel’s wife waved a pregnancy test in front of him. He shared, ‘I was confused at first because I could only see one clear line, but as I looked closer, there was a second faint line on the test.’
‘I was so happy that I told my family that same day after getting confirmatory tests done. My parents were very happy about it as they have been asking me for a grandchild for some time,’ he continued.
Together with his wife, they take full responsibility for a 4-year-old boy and an 8-month-old baby girl. He explained, ‘My priority and definition of fun has really just changed. “Fun” before would be going out and drinking, but now, “fun” for me is playing and spending time with my kids.’
Denzel wears a lot of hats ever since he became a dad, but he still believes that having kids isn’t a waste of his younger years, ‘But from the way I see it, having kids at a younger age will make me able to spend more time with them once they grow up. I will be able to keep up and be active with them.’
Gino Dimaano | 26 years old
Gino heard the big news when he was at work, ‘I felt happy and nervous at the same time. [I was] nervous because I knew that it will be my life’s biggest turning point and that I had to change my plans and priorities.’
‘Marriage definitely was in the picture. The setup of me not being there for my family and just providing financial support was never an idea,’ he continued. ‘In my head, the first thing I had to do is man up and take full responsibility for my family.’
Being a young dad does come with its difficulties, and Gino shared that others tend to be judgemental about his situation. However, he thinks otherwise, ‘Wala namang age chart of when you can become a good parent.’
He added, ‘As long as you strive hard to make your family happy, make sure that you’re always there for them, you know your responsibilities and priorities, and [aim] to raise your child properly, siguro naman it’s fair to say na we’re really trying to be a good parent.’
From one young (and lest we say cool) dad to another, Gino said, ‘For us young parents, every day is a new learning day. Let us learn from it, and win it one day at a time.’
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Source: we the pvblic
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