Having just welcomed our second child into the world and with the new financial year upon us, it has certainly been a time of reflection about new beginnings and what lies ahead for the future. The seemingly endless routine of getting up during the night and changing nappies, dream feeds and rocking your precious little ones back to sleep gives you an abundance of time (where most normal people are actually sleeping) to think and reflect on where you are and what you want to achieve.

Being a first-time parent was daunting enough and came with all sorts of challenges my wife and I were still adapting our lives around before finding out we were expecting our second child. Having our second child so close together came as a totally unexpected, yet welcome surprise. But what had we gotten ourselves into having two daughters under the magical age of two?

Like all parents, I imagine that we want the very best for our children that we can possibly provide. However, having someone completely and utterly dependent upon you to tend to their every need, was one of the most daunting aspects of Fatherhood for me personally, yet it was also something that I embraced. Being the sole income earner supporting our little family only highlighted the importance of ensuring we had adequate insurance coverage in place to ensure our family would not be financially burdened in the event of anything happening to either parent.

The birth of both children will forever be etched into my memory as some of the greatest experiences of my life. Hearing their first cries as they entered the world will be sounds that I will never forget. Holding them both for the first time and seeing how tiny and fragile they were is also something that will stay with me forever.

The age difference between our girls is 17 months. I was an only child growing up and my wife has a twin sister, so she always knew the benefit of having a sibling growing up and it was something she wanted for our first child. With the closeness in age of our girls, here’s hoping they will be lifelong friends, with a few heated disagreements thrown in along the way.

With all the sleepless nights and challenges that come from being a new father, the rewards certainly far outweigh any of the negatives. Seeing them learn new skills each and every day and interact with each other brings a smile to my face whenever I think about them. It is funny as human beings, we tend to forget or block out the bad memories of all the sleep deprivation and only remember all the good memories.

Having become a father has made me appreciate all the sacrifices my own parents have made for me in order to allow me the best opportunities possible. I look forward to making many sacrifices for my own children to ensure that the cycle can continue.