It’s amazing how young children can find an old movie they might have forgotten about, decide they like it, and play it over and over again.
My five-year-old has done just that with Eddie Murphy’s Daddy’s Daycare. What’s really interesting is that when I first saw this movie, I saw it through the eyes of a childless man. OH BUT NOT THIS TIME.
Now every time I watch this movie with my son, which is at least twice a week as of the time I write this. I pick up on the underlying messages of the film that really motivate me as a father and an entrepreneur.
So I’ve taken the time to explain Eddy Murphy’s 5 Daycare Lessons for Dads Parents Can and Should Implement Right Away.
The corporate security bogus
Eddie Murphy’s character in this film had a very important and slow career in product development. She routinely answered her cell phone call and the endless chimes of email. Most men who have worked in the corporate world can relate to this.
But then IT’S happens (insert horror music from movie). He and his very good friend are fired in a way that surprises Charlie (eddie’s character) and his business partner Phil. Have any of you ever experienced this? (The author of this post raises his hand.).
Charlie has to instantly come to terms with the reality that his employer had the power to discontinue the job in which he had found his identity. And it didn’t matter how much he invested emotionally. It didn’t matter what his financial obligations were. And it didn’t even matter that he had brought success to the company in the past. What’s next?
What really matters
Charlie no longer took up all of his time with meetings, presentations, emails, and phone calls. So what is he doing now? Well, isn’t it obvious from the title? returned to be Potato. She even read to her son at night and even fell asleep in bed with him. (And the crowd goes AWWWW!)
Now, since this wasn’t the end of the movie, the importance of this quality time hasn’t really hit him over the head yet. But it did help shift his focus to home.
The joy of being present
So Daddy’s Charlie and Phil decide to start the hilarious task of starting a daycare for dads. In which his two children are cared for.
With a mix of lots of poop humor, dress up games, sugar rush and sugar crashes and of course NAP TIME. Tea daycare for parents takes shape Now remember the scene I talked about earlier, where Charlie read to his son and he fell asleep. Well, because of Charlie’s decision to start this business from home, he and his son have spent a lot more time together.
Sidebar: This is one of those points where the movie really began to speak to my own desires as a father and an entrepreneur.
Charlie went from being an absent Father due to his career, to being a present and committed Father due to a business decision. Which brings me to the next and very valuable point.
true realization
Since this is a family comedy, a lot of hilarity ensues, along with challenges from two very inexperienced men who run a daycare center, while competing with the big private academy in town.
Throughout their journey they face surprise searches, sabotage and Charlie is even faced with the very difficult choice of going back to his old job.
Sidebar: To me this represents the struggle that many men go through every day, when they leave their home and their children.
But something amazing happens when he briefly decides to return to the corporate world and leave his innovative daycare for parents. While he was in the boardroom, the same man who fired him not long ago asked him to give a presentation.
IT’S he finally hits him over the head. Realizing that the quality time she has been able to spend with his son is priceless, she abruptly excused herself and quickly went to find her son from the feared Academy she had been competing against. and did the BOLD statement that daycare for parents it was here to stay.
What can about you from your children
As I watch this movie over and over again. Simultaneously I observe my son. I look at which parts of the movie make him laugh and realize I’m laughing at the same parts. I notice that you are attracted to this movie more than other more popular animated movies. Then I realize that he already has the desire to be a dad when he grows up, and this movie speaks to a deep desire in him.
And guess what… Me too when I was his age. Watching my son learn and grow highlights my own attributes that I am responsible for developing or correcting within him.
My son has such an amazing influence on how I do my career and how I’ve come to understand the value of time. I am so thankful that it was tough enough to endure my days of being an absentee parent due to career choices. However, caring enough to forget my absence the moment I got home. (She pauses to catch her breath and not cry.)
I hope this post motivates another Father to decide that the ones he is most important to are also worth more of his time than anything else.
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God bless you
rodney k