Name: Isaiah Freeman IV | City: Atlanta, GA | IG: @IsaiahFreemanMusic

What does being a father mean to you?

Being a father means being someone who is willing to lay the foundation for another’s life. The goal is to establish a firm and leveled foundation that a child can build the house of their life upon.

Describe your experience with your father growing up and how that impacted you today.

My Father was everything to me growing up. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my response was “I want to be like my Daddy”. He was a college professor, a preacher, a gospel and classical singer, a musician, an athlete, and could even draw a little bit. I wanted to do everything he did. One day someone called me “lil Ike”, my dads nickname was Ike. He responded by saying “no, that’s not his name. He will be his own man.” That never left me. Even though I did follow in my father’s footsteps in several ways. I always did and do it my way.

What things did you take from your experience growing up into your own fatherhood journey?

Because my father was so busy growing up; we never really spent much time together. If he wasn’t working he was sleeping. That was something that I swore I would not do to my children. Yes, daddy will have to work but when daddy is home; he is present and giving you 100% no matter how tired he is. That is my promise to them and that is what I do. Even if I have to sit in the car for 5 mins, catch my breath, and remind myself that they need me not just a roof, clothes, food, and toys.

Have you had any obstacles on your fatherhood journey?

Just being able to become a father was an obstacle. Since I was a kid I always knew I wanted a family. I wanted a son that I could pass my name onto. I wanted a daughter that I could one day walk down the aisle. To my dismay after my wife and I decided we were ready to start having kids in 2013; we discovered that according to the doctors our chances of conceiving were slim to none. In fact one doctor said “it would’ve been better if y’all never got together”. Yeah… smh this (expletive) smh. See both my wife and I had issues that we had no idea existed. My sperm count was fine but most of them were misshapen in some way. As a result it made it very difficult for me to naturally fertilize an egg. For my wife; she had quite a few issues, that was a tough time for us. Fast forward a few years and we are living in Chicago, IL. My wife learned that through her job we can have IVF ( In vitro fertilization) so after a crazy, long, unbelievable journey on 01/02/18 God blesses us with healthy Twin Boys. Fast forward a year and we find out that we’re pregnant again only this time with no assistance… ? a complete surprise because we were told we couldn’t conceive naturally. God is good man… not only did he allow us to get pregnant again but on 12/11/19 He blessed us with heathy Twin Girls. Yea… you read it correctly… 4 babies under 2 years old! (whispers) “Send Help”.

What advice would you give others new on their fatherhood journey?

Be patient with your children and be patient with yourself. They are experiencing everything for the first time. Even after a few years of being a father I am still learning how to be a better one everyday.

Also remember that every child is different. They learn differently, they show love differently and they receive love differently. It’s our job to see those differences and adapt.

Listen to your children, even before they can speak they are communicating through their actions. They are telling us who they are, what they like, and what they don’t like. Take the time to get to know who they are before you tell them who you want them to be.

Last thing, words matter. Be mindful of what you say to your children about them. Even when you’re correcting them remember that you cannot undo the damage of a misplaced word said in anger to a child.

If you could write a quick letter to your father, starting with “Dear Father,” what would you say?

Dear Father, Thank you! Thank you for every life lesson that you gave me. Thank you for a positive foundation. Thank you for being human and flawed. Some lessons are taught and others caught, I am grateful for all of them. I know that you are proud of the man that I have become, the husband that I am, and the father that I endeavor to be everyday. I am the man I am today because of you. Thank you Daddy, I love you.

Yours in the Kingdom,
Isaiah Freeman IV

Name some other fathers you cosign.