Ethan Day with his son, Colton and a work laptop.

I could not wait to become a dad. It was the one thing I always felt I would be good at.

Fast-forward to November 2021 when I officially earned the title of “dad” with the birth of our son, Colton. It was exciting and scary at the same time for my wife, Mandie, and me.

I jumped right in on the parental duties of changing diapers, swaddling, etc., and thought I was rocking it. That was until we came home from the hospital. I quickly learned that while being a parent is the best job, it is also the toughest. From completely changing my daily routine to learning how to understand someone who can’t talk yet, every week brings a new challenge.

I quickly learned that while being a parent is the best job, it is also the toughest.

Becoming a Dad Working from Home

Thankfully I work for a company that puts a big priority on work-life balance and understands the need for flexibility in today’s work environment. With a hybrid work schedule, I can skip the commute to and from the office on some days. You’d be surprised what you can accomplish with an extra 45 minutes available in your day. On the days I work from home, I am also able to knock out some chores that can otherwise be a headache to get done when watching over a kid. Mandie always appreciates it if I can do a load of laundry over my lunch break.

With a flexible workday, scheduling doctor appointments for Colt is also much easier. I can work a little earlier or later to make up for taking the little man to a checkup. This perk is also great to let me get in appointments for myself so that I’m not having to schedule them while I have Colt with me.

Ethan Day with his son Colton.

Flexibility for Working Fathers

When people ask me my favorite part of 2RM, my answer is the people I work with and the emphasis on work-life balance. While some weeks I know I will have to put in extra hours to meet deadlines or just work through a busy stretch, I am typically able to spend my nights enjoying time with my Mandie, Colt, and our bulldog, Wayne. This also applies to the weekends, when I rarely devote time to work. It’s important to me that I can be in the moment with my family rather than always thinking about work.

I’m fortunate enough to be surrounded by coworkers who are willing to pick up a little extra work to let me enjoy time off without the worry of projects falling behind. As Colt gets older, this will become even more important as we think about planning family vacations.

Being a dad is the most challenging job I have taken on in my life, but it’s also the coolest job title I’ve had. Working for a company that knows that and supports working parents with great benefits is something I feel very thankful for.

Ethan, Mandie, and Colton Day.
Ethan and Mandie Day helping their son, Colton walk.

Along with Ethan, in the past year 2RM associates Hanna Plants, Jenae Hommes, Allison Grettenberg, Jamie Fisher, Laura Sorenson, Katie McClure, Laura Reuter, and Mackenzie Bonte have welcomed babies to their families. Cheers to growing families, harried-but-happy new parents, and the friends, family, and 2RM teammates who support them and can’t get enough photos of the super-cute additions.

Interested in the perspective of another 2RM working parent? Learn about Katie McClure's experience as a first-time mom.