Name: Errol Whittle

Age: 47

Occupation:  Management Consulting  
 
How many children do you have?

Two

How old were you when you first became a father?

30

How would you rank your relationship with your father?

3 out of 5

Briefly describe the relationship with your father.

Unfortunately one of arm's length. I keep in touch and contribute to his well-being. He is 95 and recently widowed. Too much negative feedback at critical points in my formative years have left me scarred. And my adulthood relationship is based more on meeting materialistic rather than emotional needs.

How has this shaped the relationship with your children?

I have brought the many positive attributes of my Dad to my relationship with my boys, while avoiding the negatives and trying to stay emotionally attached.
I fully support their efforts and passions. And try to redirect them when I am concerned that they are veering off course, without being overbearing. I engage them in dialogue as much as their teenage lives and personalities allow me.

In all this; I keep the bar high, regarding my expectations for them, and let them be aware of it, like my Dad did. And I back up my expectations for them, by letting them see me walk the walk, in terms of my continuous pursuit of excellence in my own life, as my Dad did.

What do you enjoy the most about being a dad?

Watching the boys evolve into their personalities and sharing in their successes.