MOMumental DAD: Tony Reese, Plano Father of Four

MomsOutLoud.com is pleased to introduce you to Tony Reese, a father from Plano who was nominated by a friend to be our Father’s Day MOMumental Dad!
 

Tell us about your family. 

I’ve been married for 17 years this August with four children:  Crystal (20 yrs) at Texas A&M, Kevin (16 yrs), Cody (14 yrs), and Madison (10 yrs).
 
What does your typical day look like?  

I am a consultant so I am on the road Sunday night – Thursday night.   But when I am at home I wake up at 6 am to wake up my sons and daughter and help my daughter get breakfast and get ready for school.   I usually take my daughter to school; I either follow her in my truck while she rides her bike or drive her.   Get back and start working, put in full day of work until time to pick up my daughter.  Wash clothes and maybe cook dinner.   My wife calls me a man wife.  They we try to do a family activity or attend soccer or other sports my son might be playing.   I am only home 3 days so every minute is spent doing family activities.
 
What was the best piece of parenting advice you’ve ever received and who gave it to you?  

My family has never been close so I don’t remember any advice from my parents on how to parent.   My fathering style is trying to raise my kids with lots of love and discipline with a big bark and little bite.  I had a lot of unhappy things happen when I was a kid and it helped me understand how not to parent.  This is not saying that my mom and dad were bad parents, they just did things that I wouldn’t do as a parent.   My wife and I work very hard and our kids needs always come first before our own. 

 
We’ve heard you were once a big driving force in a Dad’s Club at a local elementary.  Tell us about that.  

I’m not sure exactly when the Dad’s Club was started at the school, but I believe the reason it was started  was to get dads more involved with the kids.    The Dads held events like lunch and donuts with dads to raise money to help the teachers purchase their supplies.  They also helped with the school carnivals, school campouts and assisted with some landscaping around the school.  I actually had to stop participating due to my travels, but the experience taught me how important it is to be involved, and I recommend doing so to all dads.   It has really made a big difference in my relationship with my kids.   Going to their sports events, choir, open house, etc., and showing a true interest really has a big effect on the kids.  What I hated when I was growing up was looking up from the dugout or stage trying to find my parents and them not being there.  This club was a great way for Dads to offer their skills and talents (like orchestrating camp outs or doing some heavy-lifting help) to the school community and be able to have more opportunities to be around for our kids.
 

What are three products that, as a Dad, you can’t live without?   

Batteries so my remote never stops working. Advil, because I am always sore from playing soccer with my daughter, tennis with my oldest son and basketball and football with my youngest son.    Gas for all the driving around we do.

 
What kind of principles do you try to teach your children?   

I tell my kids to work hard at everything they do, they might not be the smartest, strongest or fastest but they should always be the hardest workers.    I want my kids to look at me and my wife after they are grown and say I want to raise my kids the way my parents raised me.  I think this is one of the biggest complements a parent can get.

What advice would you have for a man who is about to become a father?    

I would tell any new father to give 100% of your time and 100% of yourself to your kids.  What I mean by that is when your spending time with your kids make sure you are not distracted because all kids  can tell when you’re not paying attention.   This is the most exciting time of your life; and to have an impact on how a child is raised is incredible.  To see the final result is like an artist creating the perfect painting, there are no words to describe the feeling.