Being a father is the most important job you will ever have. So be the best one you can be. Stay strong good luck.
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The most challenging and rewarding task ever put before me is being a father.
Not a job I really wanted as a drunk.
A role I cherish now as a more whole human.
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Growing up always having mine drunk showed me what I didnt want to be…then I became a alcolhic myself
Moving forward someone needs to break the chain and I’m glad I am doing it for myself, and with the help of all you beautiful people 
Much love To all the father’s beating thier demons for them selfs and thier children 
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Yeah man. As a drunk I just went through the motions. Yes I did the bath and dinners and pick ups and alllllll of that. But i didn’t really enjoy it. It was just part of my reality.
Now? Shit man, I can just cry when I look at those kids. Cry with pride. Those kids are amazing and so is our relationship. They drive me fucking nuts!! But they are my world
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Being a Dad is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Not sure what would have happened to me if I’d never had my boys.
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You know that i think about this a lot? Its said that we repeat our parents, or kids of alcoholic parents become alcoholic themselves.
Im afraid one of my kids, or both, might end up a drug addict like me. 
i hope that never happens but im afraid it will…
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I have 4, I always joke that we’ll never empty nest cause we have enough for the odds to be good that 1 will be with us forever, a derelict like I was.
I really feared it for awhile, I don’t think about it as much now, because what’s gonna happen is gonna happen. I can do everything right and still get it wrong. I know I’ll be there for them for whatever, and if they follow in my footsteps, I’ll have the knowledge to speak to them on their level.
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I’ve been thinking about this a lot as well. It’s such a debilitating thought. Like what can you really do about it one way or another right now? All you can do (I think) is work on yourself everyday, be the best dad you can be today, and then hope all of the dominoes fall in the “right” way years (decades?) from now. I guess if the kids are a little older there’s more you can do to try to help equip them to combat drugs, but I mean, this is EXACTLY my panic attack material. Ultimately you just feel so powerless, and even worse, the tape is playing out in your mind and we’ve already judged ourselves as guilty.
I started reading Beautiful Boy by David Scheff (sp?) last week. He processes a lot of these same thoughts but from the side that we’re fearful of. It’s been a great book for a struggling dad like me, so I highly recommend it. I’m becoming more convinced that these fears would be there regardless, but our addict brains see an opening and beat us to hell since we’re so accustomed to telling ourselves that we’re pieces of garbage anyway. But what if our bad past experiences with drugs/alcohol actually turn out to be positives? Who better to explain the horrors of addiction to a young person than a thriving addict in recovery? A thriving addict in recovery who is also their dad!
There will be difficulties as the kids grow, but I have to have faith that our experiences, good and bad, only make us that much richer and capable as people and as parents in the long run. As long as we continue to work on ourselves and put in the work everyday. We’ve got this.
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Goosebumps scrolling through here.
Couple a weeks ago I needed you all to set my mind straight. And today i am more then happy that I can pick him up from daycare in a bit!
This boy is a God sent gift and a mirror (less happy with that some times)
His mom and I don’t see eye to eye but we had to be in eachothers life just to give this soul life.
Thankx for sharing everybody
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I’ve feared that a lot myself. I think of other types of addiction compared to mine. If I was an alcoholic, I’d just tell my kids that they’d be predisposed toward alcoholism and so they should just abstain. It’s a proximity issue.
With pornography though, you are surrounded by it. I cannot protect my kids from being exposed. So, I wrote this one post about it.
Revealing the dark world of the Porn Industry - Articles May Be Triggering:
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Just like you said: we can do everything right and get it wrong. Or we can do everything wrong (addicted father) and get it right.
So, yeah, that gives hope for them 
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I always tell my wife that there will be some positives of me being a drug addict: i think i will be able to teach and help them better how to deal and what to expect fron drugs. If anything, at least i will know when my son/daughter is high. They wont be able to hide it.
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