One of the best parts about being a family photographer is witnessing the unique bonds within families. I love seeing how parents love their kids, how kids love their siblings, and how each person plays a special role in their family.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about fatherhood. Photographing hundreds of families every year, I’ve noticed that when dads have a special bond with their kids—when they are willing to play with them and be genuine during a photo session—the photos always turn out especially beautiful. I think this beauty speaks to something really important about the role of fathers. 

As a Millennial wife and mom, I’m very aware that my relationship with my husband differs from the married relationships of previous generations. I think it’s amazing that so many Millennial husbands and dads are stepping into their roles with more intentionality and selflessness, becoming more involved with the nitty-gritty of child raising.

I truly believe that one of the best ways to make the world a better place is to make the home a better place. And homes are happier, more peaceful places when both parents are present for their children, AND when both parents feel appreciated and supported. While the roles of Mom and Dad may look different in every household, Millennial dads are recognizing the shortcomings of previous generations by taking on more responsibility, sharing the role of childcare more evenly, and supporting their wives.

In this season of gratitude, I wanted to write a note of thanks to my husband for all that he does for our family. Some of these actions may seem small, but they have made all the difference for me and for our family. And while I believe that parenting as partnership should ultimately be the norm, I also believe it’s worth it to say thank you to those dads who are daily choosing to be present, share the load, and support their partners. 

An Open Letter to My Husband and Father of My Children: 

Thank you for sharing the sleepless newborn days. Whether it was taking a long nighttime shift so I could get a solid stretch of sleep or staying awake beside me while I nursed so I didn’t feel alone, thank you for helping our family survive the hardest days postpartum. 

Thank you for making me feel appreciated for everything I did throughout pregnancy and childbirth. Thank you for taking care of me while I took care of our babies.

Thank you for wearing our babies, for changing their diapers, for learning their wake windows, for tickling little toes, for singing their favorite songs. Thank you for recognizing that babycare is not one person’s “job” but a shared role. 

Thank you for working so hard and sacrificing so much so I could stay home with our babies in the early days. Thank you for continuing to dive headfirst into parenting the moment you get home everyday. 

Thank you for sharing the morning and bedtime routines, for making them breakfast while I get them dressed or for giving them baths before I read them stories. Thank you for helping us be a team. 

Thank you for knowing their schedules, for taking them to dentist and doctors appointments when I can’t, for packing school lunches, and for reading the school emails. 

Thank you for sorting through all their socks, throwing out the old ones and buying new ones. Thank you for clipping their fingernails before they get too long. Thank you for teaching them how to ride their bikes or tie their shoes. Thanks for taking “little” things off my plate because you know those are the things that add up and make the mental load of motherhood so hard. Thank you for never thinking those little things were “my job” in the first place. 

Thank you for helping me pursue my dreams, giving me the encouragement and the means to turn my passion into a full-time job. Thank you for solo parenting every weekend while I help other families create lifelong memories. Thank you for helping me renovate my studio into the beautiful space it is now. Thank you for believing this business was worth it because it was my dream and helping me see that I could use my skills to support our family and bring joy to others. 

Thank you for being vulnerable with our children and helping them process their big feelings. Thank you for showing them that tenderness, compassion, and selflessness are part of what it means to be a strong man, a good man. Thank you for teaching them how to love by example. 

Thank you for loving me, for choosing us, for being the man of my dreams so we could build the family of our dreams. 

With all my heart,

Ana