Three Years In

Do you know how many nights a parent of a toddler sleeps uninterrupted? It's ok, Michael doesn't know this either!

This week marks Michael's birthday—and one day later, his daughter’s...yes, he is aware his birthday is now irrelevant and is ok with that. Three years ago, he became a parent. Since then, time has moved both achingly slow and blindingly fast. He has aged at least five years in wisdom, and while he may not be sleeping more, he is seeing the return on some of those chaotic early investments.

From Bedtime Negotiator to CEO of Snack Distribution

Being a parent is like getting a crash course in behavioral psychology, conflict resolution, and risk management—on no sleep and with someone screaming “NO!” at you for cutting their toast wrong. Just when you think you’ve unlocked the code—figured out what calms them, what motivates them, what causes the mysterious inner workings of their thought process—they change again. Version 3.0 has new features: more questions, more independence, more everything.

And yet, somehow, you adapt. You rise to meet the challenge, learn the lingo (Bluey references included), and celebrate small wins like a solo bathroom break or a tantrum-free grocery run.

Parenting is the Original Long-Term Plan

In many ways, parenting mirrors financial planning. You try to model good behavior, control for risk, follow the process, and hope the outcomes line up. There are no guarantees—only the faith that if you keep showing up, learning, and adjusting, the long-term results will take care of themselves.

We don’t always get it right. But just like in investing, success doesn’t come from one perfect move—it comes from persistence, course correction, and patience through volatility.

So here’s to three years of joyful chaos, of tiny hands teaching big lessons. And here’s to whatever curveball comes next—we’ve got our mitts up.

“The days are long, but the years are short.” – Gretchen Rubin