Meet Daniel Alarcón, Father of Two

Tell us about yourself 
I’m 45 years old, father to two boys, León, who’s sixteen, and Eliseo, who’s nine. The spread in ages is a fun challenge, because the kids need such different things from me, different types of energy. It keeps me on my toes. I’ve never read a parenting book, but have enjoyed improvising and learning along the way.

Tell us your favorite dad joke!
I have such an affinity for the truly silly joke, that I have to wonder if I was always this way, or if this was something latent, that didn’t manifest until I was a dad. In any case, here goes:

How does the man on the moon cut his hair?
Eclipse it.

What was your most rewarding moment as a dad?
I love so many moments of being a father that I can’t really choose. I get overwhelmed by the beauty of really small moments: conversations that demonstrate how much my children have matured, or how smart they are, or that reveal really interesting things about how their minds work. I admire the curiosity they show, love watching my kids get engaged with a project, with a goal and commit to it. I love watching them work for something they really wanted, and surprising themselves at what they can achieve.

What is your most valuable dad advice and how would a new parent apply it to their daily life?
Your kids will only ever be the age they are now once. It’s obvious, but this simple sentence has such important implications. Enjoy every single day. Understand that every day is another opportunity to build a stronger relationship with your children. Appreciate that, take it to heart, and I think you’ll really enjoy being a parent.

Whether in your life or at large, why is a dad’s role so important?
Sometimes your kid asks you why something is the way it is, maybe asks it in a way that you’ve never considered before, and you realize that at a certain age, your kid thinks you have all the answers. It's flabbergasting to have that level of responsibility, particularly when you might feel so unfinished yourself, still young, still learning... But it's great, and the older your child gets, the more you can be honest about what you don't know, and the more interesting the conversations can become.