THE DADDY SATURDAY STORY
By Justin Batt
When my wife Heather and I had our first child I had no idea that fourteen years later I would be leading an international platform on fatherhood. My wife Heather and I were married shortly after graduating from Clemson University and we started our careers in pharmaceutical sales and teaching. I quickly climbed the corporate ladder and Heather decided to leave teaching and become an entrepreneur by opening a bridal store in Charlotte, NC. We named the store after our first child, our daughter Hayden Olivia and I found myself alone with our newborn daughter all day on Saturdays. Fast forward and three boys later I had continued climbing the corporate ladder and was traveling frequently during the week. I would come home on Fridays exhausted, stressed out, and wondering what to do with four young kids for 8-10 hours
PHOTO BY BRETTE LEIGH PHOTOGRAPHY
on a Saturday. I remember one Saturday in particular when I had an awakening moment that changed the trajectory of my role as a father. I was challenged with the question, is this time with my kids a burden or a blessing, an inconvenience or an assignment? I realized that I had been given a gift and wanted to make the most of the time I had with my kids in the home. I began planning our Saturdays with intentionality and tried to create “epic” moments with our four kids. This one act changed everything in our relationship and the time we spent together. The kids began looking forward to our days together and one Wednesday morning my middle son Mason said, “What are we doing for Daddy Saturday?” and we named it and claimed it. 18
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