Meet Charles B, New Dad

One of the things we love doing here at Cotton the First is talking to our customers. And as a men’s shirting company, a lot of our customers turn out to be dads. With Father’s Day fast approaching, we thought we would shine a spotlight on a few of our dad customers and share their stories with the larger Cotton the First family. First up is Charles B, who works at Pinterest and lives in San Francisco. Up until about seven months ago, Charles and his wife Katya were still living in a 480 square foot apartment. Then their daughter Mia arrived on the scene and as Charles puts it,

“everything changed.”

Charles didn’t know what to expect of fatherhood. He’d read about a dozen books beforehand but still felt unprepared when the time came. He didn’t know how to care for a baby and spent time fanatically looking up information on the internet. He remembers,

“just wanting to be good at something and not really knowing how to do it.” 

Charles got helpful advice from other dad’s in his life, like many with whom he works. His brother, Steve, has been particularly helpful. Steve had become a father just about a year earlier and was able to provide Charles with some very real time advice. When asked what advice he would offer soon-to-be dads, Charles warns that everything is about to change, and new dads should be comfortable with change. Even after the baby is born, each day brings something new. For him, it seems that Mia is learning new skills and changing each day.

When asked about his favorite part of being a dad thus far, Charles points out the hundred little moments each day spent with his daughter. He thought fatherhood would be about the big moments but confesses that he really values the micro moments, like when Mia smiles up at him. Charles says about his daughter’s smile,

“You feel that love coming back, of all the love you [give] her.” 

Charles says the relationship between a father and daughter is an important one, and he hopes to build a bond with Mia so that when she is older, she can come to him with bigger issues and knows she can always count on him. But he also concedes that the role of a father is changing. When speaking to younger Dads like himself, it’s clear that the role of father today is not exclusively focused on providing for the family financially. He sees more dads his age taking paternity leave to spend quality time with their newborns while also taking a more active role in supporting their wives in raising children. 

This Father’s Day will be a first for Charles and we asked how he would like to spend the holiday meant to honor him as a dad. He prefers to forego anything big or complex and would rather just use the day to spend time with his new daughter. Becoming a dad has given Charles perspective and he is very happy to focus on his daughter and be caught up in the moment. As for what’s going on in the world these days, Charles is optimistic.

“When you can feel the love in your new daughter’s smile, it’s tough not to be optimistic and positive.”

Tell us what you think in the comment below.
With love from Cotton the First.