Meet Steve C, Experienced Dad

With Father’s Day only a week away, we continue our #DadStories series, spotlighting some of the dads that make up the Cotton the First family of customers and fans of the brand.

Today, we meet Steve C, an entrepreneur who lives in Reno, Nevada with his wife, two kids and two mini Schnauzers. Originally from the Bay Area, Steve recently relocated to the Reno area to oversee the expansion of his company, Aqaumetals, which recycles batteries in a sustainable and environmentally clean way. Steve has a 14-year old special needs son, who doesn’t talk much but is a savant on the piano. He quips that his home is like living in a Nordstrom because piano music fills the air for most of the day. He refers to his 11-year old daughter as the “third parent,” who is a staunch advocator and defender of her brother and who does all the talking for them both. 

"Being a father is the hardest job I have ever loved."

When asked what advice he would offer new dads, Steve says, “Get ready!” He explained his own transition to fatherhood as moving from a selfish lifestyle to a selfless one, and that it was a role he grew into as he learned what being a father was all about. Steve referenced the old adage, “Parenting is the hardest job you’ll ever love,” and said it was true for him. He also explains that “you don’t know what love is until you have that kind of love,” speaking about the emotion a new dad feels when seeing his child for the first time. “And it only grows from there,” he adds.

Steve says the pandemic has provided him with a new perspective on his family life and looks to maintain more balance even after the lockdowns ease. He’s learned that you really can’t get tired of one another if you spend quality time together and that he’s really enjoyed his family’s togetherness. The time spent together under lockdown has enhanced his relationship with his kids and has helped him realize what’s most important: more time to be plugged into their daily life and being engaged in the day-to-day little things.

“whoever is looking through the lens is their own person,” 

For Steve, the role of a dad is to help his children find their lens on the world. He admits that his kids will each approach the world differently, and that “whoever is looking through the lens is their own person,” but feels he can give them a healthy perspective through which to view their own individual point-of-view. He also thinks it’s important to not hide his imperfections from his children and use those moments to help teach them “how not to do things.”

This Father’s Day, Steve is looking forward to spending the day by slowing down, relaxing and making moments with his family. He will also try creating the same experience for his own father, as well as his father-in-law. For him, Steve says it’s really about appreciating the father-figures in his life who have guided him and have helped shape the kind of father he is today. 

Until next time. With Love from Cotton the First.