«The weekend with my family is sacred to me»
"I knew early on that I wanted to have children one day. I had never thought about why in detail - starting a family was simply part of my life plan. What surprised me most when David came along: How quickly and confidently I settled into a role for which I lacked any experience. Normally we prepare for pretty much everything in life first, we practise. You become a father from one moment to the next - and it works. Of course, the worries come at some point. When the child cries for hours on end, doesn't drink well, doesn't put on weight. I took a month off after both births. So Nathalie and I were able to discuss together what to do at such times. This exchange gave me security. As did the experience of witnessing every stage of the children's development up close. You are always up to date. I sometimes miss that today: being so close to the children. I know it's in the nature of things, given their age and growing independence, but I'm also very busy at work. So sometimes I worry whether I'm sufficiently aware of the children or what's on their minds. I often let them know that I'm always there for them. Sometimes I worry when they don't want to talk about their day in the evening. But I actually know that they are just tired or would rather play.
You become a father from one moment to the next - and it works.
Weekends with my family are sacred to me. That's why I hesitated for a long time about the further training I completed last year. Instead of spending Saturday with the children, I had to go to school. That was difficult. At the same time, I believe that a dad who goes to school can also be a role model for the children - that you have to work hard to achieve your goals and that nothing comes from nothing. As a father, I want one thing above all: to be present - not just physically present. When I'm with the children, the office is far away. I also have Nathalie to thank for the fact that I manage this so well. She has always had my back at home and has cushioned the blow of many things that would have made it difficult for me to combine work and family life. That can't be taken for granted.
We adapted our model a year ago: Nathalie started her return to work, which I think is great. Since then, I've been going home earlier on Mondays when she's at work, working from home and being there when the children come home from school. Due to the coronavirus crisis, I now work from home almost half of the week. It's not always easy to fulfil my management responsibilities in this situation - but I really enjoy the benefits that this brings for me as a father."
