Spotlight on Dads is a weekly series from Discovering Dad that features involved fathers from around the world. The objective of the series is to inspire fathers to connect and learn from one another, while also deconstructing the stereotype of fathers as ’second’ parents.

This week’s spotlight shines on Pat Glennon from Annoyingly Boring? Pat is one of the first dad bloggers that I met who was really good at posting fun and engaging videos, particularly those related to his weight loss or fitness efforts.  He would oftentimes work the kids into the videos in fun ways, and I really enjoy reading his blog.

Tell a little about yourself. A little about me? Well, I am Pat Glennon, 36-year-old dad to 4 amazing kids ages 10, 8, 6 & 20 months. I’m also the very lucky husband to one incredible and extremely patient woman. We’ve been married 12+ years now. Seems like yesterday! Living the life just south of Boston. Oh, and I can’t forget Fluffy our cat.

I am currently at home days with the kids and working part time evenings. Fits our needs now, and I love being home days, but man do I miss Little League though.

I’m a bit of a homebody, happy where I am most of the time. I’ve never lived more than 90 minutes from where I was born. But at the same time, I would love to travel more. Just gotta hit that Lotto first, they keep telling me I have to play to win though.

What about your family background? I am the youngest of seven kids; I’ve got five older brothers and one older sister. My oldest brother and I actually share a birthday, 16 years apart. My parents are amazing people. Both educators, my Mom taught and my dad was a teacher and then a principal, their whole professional lives. Heroic stuff raising 7 kids on teachers salaries. I don’t know how they did it.

My wife and I are High School Sweethearts. We met on a blind date no less! I needed a date for my junior semi-formal and my friend John gave me two girls’ numbers. I don’t remember why I called my wife over the other girl, but thank heavens I did! That was, gulp, coming up on 20 years ago! We dated for seven years, with a hiatus in there when we were 3000 miles apart for freshman year at college, before we got engaged. I did say something about patience didn’t I? The rest is history (in the making).

What do you like most about being a dad? This answer changes all the time. Having four kids, boys and girls there is so much that makes me happy. Playing catch in the back yard with the boys; laying quietly next to my older daughter when she can’t fall asleep; watching the baby do new things EVERY DAY. It’s all amazing. Plus they can’t help but encourage my antics. I am always happy to make a fool of myself for their benefit.

What do you find most challenging about being a dad? Patience. It’s hard not to sweat the small stuff sometimes. My oldest and I are too much alike in many ways, both super stubborn.  When we have a disagreement neither one of us wants to be the bigger person and just let it go. I know as the parent I should really rise above it, but it’s hard.

The other thing that irks me is the lack of clear-cut, well-written directions! Come on!! The human race has been producing children for eons and we’ve had written communication for much of that time. Is it too much to ask to have this all written down somewhere? I mean, It’ crazy!

What’s your most memorable experience(s) so far as a dad? Very simply, and I think most would agree… Four trips to the hospital, four healthy babies home. Hard to beat that. Aside from that, there are so many little moments that just keep adding up to make the whole experience more amazing than words can describe.

In general, how do you think dads are perceived? Why? I could get on my high horse and rant about how we are all perceived as bungling knuckle-dragging cavemen who are lucky to keep the kids alive if left to deal with them for any extended period of time. And, in a small way, I can appreciate those who see it that way.

However, I don’t think that is really the wide spread notion. Sure you see the bungling dad depicted on TV or in father’s day cards. It’s humor, and while it may not always be well written humor, it’s not who we are.  I think that most people are sharp enough to know that. I rarely get the “oh, giving mom a day off?” garbage when I have the kids out doing errands. I know others who say they do, but I don’t see it. So I will stick to my guns as a glass 2/3 full kind of guy and just say that we are perceived in all sorts of ways by all sorts of people and worrying about it isn’t all that productive.

How has the experience as dad helped you discover something new about yourself? Not so much “new” as it really highlights things I already knew about myself. For instance, I am a terribly introverted person. I don’t thrive in social situations where I don’t have a load of pre-existing relationships. If I need to mingle with a group of parents at a birthday party for one of the kids, and I don’t know a bunch of the other parents, I am usually pretty miserable. It’s a work in progress. I’ll get there.

Aside from highlighting what I already know about myself, being a dad has also made me realize that I should have had more appreciation for my own parents when I was growing up. It’s an incredibly tough job.

Who do you go to for advice about fatherhood? I go to the big book of instructions… oh right… never mind. I just blindly muddle through and figure it out by trial and error. Hopefully, I will get it right by the time I am done raising the kids.

Seriously though, all my brothers are dads and I could certainly ask any of them anything… but whether it’s me, or an inherent weakness of men, I don’t ask for help. I will knock things around with my wife on topics that we are stumped, but I am really just winging it.

Do you hang out with many other dads? If not, why? If so, what do you do together? Not too much really. With my work schedule being opposite of my wife’s, my social time is usually fairly hard to come by. When I do have time to hang out away from the kids, I usually spend it with my wife. Nothing beats a night at Fenway Park taking in a Red Sox game with my wife. I’d like to spend more time doing fun stuff with other dads, and maybe I will if my schedule changes and I don’t feel like I am missing out on more important stuff at home.

Tell a little about your website. I had a website for years and years. With a large family strewn across the country, I started it as a way to share photos and other information with them. Later, when the company I was working for closed the office I was at, I used the website as a sort-of “refugee camp” where my fellow displaced workers could keep in touch, share job leads and such.  When that purpose ran its course, my site sat idle for a couple years.

Last summer, I decided it was time to either pull the plug or do SOMETHING with the site. So not knowing if I would enjoy it, I installed WordPress and started blogging. I called the site Annoyingly Boring?. It’s meant to be ironic, but for those with an irony deficiency (ha, get it – iron deficiency/irony deficiency?). I deliberately have the question mark on the name. I figured the site would be full of run of the mill, slice of life stuff; nothing earth shattering; stuff some might consider boring? The trick is making it entertaining.

It’s not meant to be a ‘daddy blog’ or any sort of blog in particular, but in recent days it’s morphed into a photo blog. I am about 150 days into a “Project 365.” I post one photo taken that day, every day for a year. I started the project to improve my skills with the camera and as a way to document the year. It’s be more than I could have hoped for so far.

Anything else you’d like to share? Just that I would like to thank you for the opportunity!  It still amazes me that little old me is worthy of such attention, but hey I’m not complaining. Also, as for all the photos I have taken this year, I need to do a better job of getting shots with all the kids in them.  I’m working on that.

Next week’s Spotlight on Dads will be sure to add a spark to your playpen! Come back and learn more about another involved Dad.

Spotlight on Dads is a weekly series published each Saturday on Discovering Dad. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. Your feedback and recommendations will help to shape this series. Thanks!

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