Overnight Prints, an online printing company, is dedicating this Father’s Day to all the fantastic dads at the office! We interviewed some of our working dads about sweet moments and memories he shares with his little ones. Each dad also shared lessons passed down from his own father and his advice for first-time parents.
Davion Archie, Customer Care Specialist
Davion is a customer care specialist at Overnight Prints. He is dad to three little girls and one son. Kalie, 7, is creative and models for Disney; Melody, 4, is Dad’s best friend who loves to be girly and play with makeup; Davion Jr., 2, has a love for cars and carries his Iron Man toy everywhere he goes; and 4-month-old Ariane is already learning to roll over and crawl.
The active dad shares his love of nature with his growing family:
When I first became a dad, I had to throw up each time. But with each new addition, I gained a special child who inherited my good looks!
I really enjoy spending time with my kids outdoors and taking them hiking at Zion National Park in Utah. For last year’s celebration, we had a BBQ and went swimming for Father’s Day.
My advice to first-time dads is to love your child for who they are.
Degory Valentine, Customer Experience Manager
Degory is a customer experience manager for Overnight Prints. The light of his life is his 4-year-old son, DJ.
The doting dad wants to share his world of knowledge with his mini-me:
The dominant feeling when DJ was born was definitely “wonderstruck.” After a couple hours, that encompassing wonder gave way to eager anticipation of the opportunities to show and tell him about everything – literally everything. Someone is brand-new to life and I (with his mother/my wife) get to be his guide!? HOW COOL! And after yet another few hours, a feeling of extreme tiredness took over. All three feelings still remain to a large degree.
I’m told DJ mischievously takes things just one step too far, like his dad. Our favorite hobbies together are playing with Play-Doh, Legos and Minecraft, having superhero fights, and dancing.
What my father taught me that I will pass down is to show love, not just speak it.
I have one word for first-time dads: Caffeeeeeeine.
Jeff Moren, Systems Administrator
Jeff is a systems administrator at Overnight Prints. His three sons take after Dad: Hunter, 10; Cole, 9; and Mason, 7.
Music keeps this family together:
I was excited and anxious, but mostly excited to learn I was becoming a dad for the first time.
All my kids inherited my love of learning new things, and more specifically, music. Our favorite hobbies include playing music. I taught them all how to play guitar, so we play together a lot. We also play video games together.
The best lesson I learned from my father that I have passed down to my kids is to always pursue your passions in life. Never settle for second best and always work hard. Everything else in life comes easier if you do those things.
For Father’s Day this year, I’ll be taking my kids to a baseball game. That has been our annual tradition for the past few years.
My advice for first-time dads: Just be there with your kids as much as possible. It’s more important to be there for the everyday things than anything else. It’s those memories of being their dad that your kids will take with them into adulthood.
Ken Lawson, Human Resources Manager
Ken serves as the HR manager for Overnight Prints. His two adult children are Kenny and Dolly. Kenny, 29, runs a social media and marketing business as well as conducts batting and pitching lessons while younger sister Dolly, 26, is a phlebotomist who conducts insurance physicals and corporate health screenings nationwide.
He shares his love of life with his kids:
I felt excited and scared when I first became a dad. They were so tiny and fragile, I thought I would break them. Turns out they’re very durable and don’t break.
My kids inherited a few traits from me – a good work ethic, moral values, community involvement and being a good friend. We love eating, going to ball games, hanging out by the pool, taking vacations and going skiing and boating.
Our plans for Father’s Day this year are to spend the day at Top Golf with lots of food and drinks!
What I would tell first-time dads is that there are no training manuals for this job. Make sure to spend a lot of time with them and get involved with their school and sports. DO NOT be overprotective! Allow them to experience life.
Santonio Moore, Customer Care Specialist
Santonio works as a customer care specialist for Overnight Prints. His family includes Brooklyn, 8, who uses her big imagination to write short stories and movie scripts; 6-year-old math whiz Brayden who loves numbers; and creative 4-year-old Brielle who likes fashion and makeup.
He enjoys creating with his three:
Becoming a dad was the happiest moment in my life! It was the first time I felt real responsibility.
I’d say my kids inherited my attention to detail, and my love for working with numbers and watching sports. My kids want to be YouTube stars, so we enjoy creating stories and short videos together. We also build Minecraft worlds, but I mostly just watch as they are the pros.
What I want to pass down from my father is for my kids to be accountable for their actions no matter the circumstances.
This year, we will celebrate Father’s Day with a pool party and BBQ, and crossing our fingers that the Cleveland Cavs win three straight to force Game 7 on Father’s Day!
To first-time dads, live in the moment. Cherish every milestone as much as you can. They only stay small for a short period of time, then there isn’t much you can do about it!