On Running a Larger Family, With Alex Galbally
Dadditude Newsletter #24
Dadditude interviews dads (and mums) from different backgrounds, professional fields and ethnicities to get their insights on what it means to be a parent in the current moment.
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Alex Galbally and his wife Charlotte are superhuman parents raising 5 kids, including triplet girls, in London. Their energy and focus are an inspiration, and we spoke with Alex recently about family dynamics, being present, and finding dad support on social media.
You can follow their adventures on Instagram and YouTube.
Please tell us about your family.
Our family unit means everything to me and my wife. As you can imagine, with the football, dancing, days out and everything else, it doesn’t leave us much time for ourselves. My passion, family aside, is football, I absolutely love it, watching the kids play, playing myself and going to games with Henry my eldest and hopefully the others when they are old enough! I love the outdoors, I love taking the kids out in the car not knowing where we will end up, sometimes the beach, sometimes a forest, a garden centre, who knows!
I try and keep myself fit. I was a keen runner and ran many marathons but due to some issues, I now swim most days instead, or hit the gym. It’s hard juggling work and family life, but recently I have been working from home a lot, which has meant I can spend more time with the kids. I guess this is one positive from what has been going on in the world!
Introduce your kids.
Henry is our eldest and he is 8. He's a lovely, kind and well-mannered boy who loves his football, xbox, lego and all the things 8 year olds like.
Then we have Annabella, Florence and Lottie who are all 4 years old. Annabella is a little shy and quiet but once she finds her voice she is a real character and likes to cause some mischief at times!
Florence is very sensitive but also very loud and the boss of the girls. She loves a cuddle and also butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
Lottie is a wild soul, loves to sing and dance and is happy to play on her own. She is so loud and outgoing that we always say she has 'been here before'. They all love animals, dolls/prams and dancing!
Jimmy is the latest, and last, addition and he is 2. He completes the family and has such a fun personality, loves following the others around and being part of it all. He’s a real typical little boy, always carrying a car and a football around!
How do you manage to mix work and family?
I think being a father changes everything, you no longer put yourself or your needs first in my opinion. After a week at work, ideally the weekend would be a place of peace and relaxation, but instead my house is like a soft play centre at times. I think that’s what you sign up for when you have kids and you can't take it lightly because they need/crave your time and focus and in my opinion you must give it to them. Childhood is short and so is life so you must create memories whilst you can.
I throw myself into being a father and I love every moment, even when I decide to take a few hours to myself to watch a match on TV or whatever, within 5 minutes I’m playing football in the garden or taking the kids out on their bikes… It’s what I do!
Why did you start a social media presence for your family?
I needed a place to channel the raw and difficult emotion I was feeling after I had the triplets. I found it difficult to speak to anyone face to face, as let’s be honest, most people don’t have time or don’t really know what to say when you’ve just had 3 babies at once! I found it amazing to be able to write down how I felt, and had so many positive people telling me it was all gonna be ok. Of course it has an influence on the family dynamics, mainly positive, and has given us many amazing opportunities we wouldn’t have had, and we are thankful.
What do you think is your biggest strength as a parent?
I think being able to realise that the most precious thing we can give to our children is our time.
What stresses you out the most these days as a parent?
Like all parents, the arguing amongst the children. They are good kids and they understand how to share and play nice most of the time, but they do bicker and argue and it drives me mad. I remember my parents telling me and my brothers off for the same things!
What side of parenthood do you wish you had invested more time and energy in the past?
I genuinely have no regrets, I was there for all the births of my children, I fed and changed them, I saw them take their first steps and heard them say their first words. I realize I’m lucky, as some parents can't be and everyone has their own priorities and stuff in life to deal with. I wanted to be a dad so bad and it makes me so proud. The children mean everything to me and we have so much fun. I genuinely don’t think I have more time or energy I could give them.
Can you tell us about an especially favorite/special moment with your kid recently?
Very simple but recently, just towards the tail end of the summer, we rented a local beach hut, the sea was crashing against the rocks, the coffee in my cup was hot and the kids were all running around fishing for crabs and having fun. The sun briefly shone on my neck and I thought this is bliss (shortly after jimmy threw someone else's fishing rod in the sea and one of the girls fell over).
Thank you Alex!
We’ve enjoyed reading:
The Gender Researcher’s Guide to an Equal Marriage
In their personal lives, sociologists attempt to ward off the same inequalities that they study at work.Daddy blues - why we need to talk about postnatal depression in men
A global survey shows as many as 26 per cent of new fathers struggle with depression in the three to six months after their baby is born.Breaking up, but living together: how lockdowns lead to ‘nesting’
In the uncertainty of lockdowns, some couples have elected to cohabitate while severing ties.Throwback: Dadditude Newsletter #13: On Introspection and Exploration, With Joshua Haynes and Scott Culley
Thanks for reading!
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