Jeremy Benton had a knack for working with kids; he also enjoyed a single life that allowed him to work extra jobs to earn extra money to travel and see the country. He didn’t plan to have kids of his own and that was fine. He felt he was making a difference working with at-risk youth in the schools of Champaign, Il.
Then he met his wife Shawna, a CPA and CFO for a family-run business, and they had a son who is now five. He also became what he calls a step-step dad – to his wife’s step-daughter and step-son from her first marriage.
They were juggling like any family and making it work, with typical childcare challenges. But Jeremy, our Lead Dad of the Week, said his wife sharpened her accountant’s pencil as her job became busier and their son’s childcare became more expensive. It didn’t make financial sense for Jeremy to be anything other than a Lead Dad devoting all of his time to the family. He stepped up and took the role seriously.
It’s been great for him, great for her and great for their son. “One of my biggest challenges is trying to figure out what needs to be done and when,” he said. “The outside upkeep. The inside upkeep. I don’t say I have a full grasp on anything.”
It’s been less great for his friendships. “My friends think I have all the time in the world,” he said. “They think we can do anything at any time because she works and I’m at home. There’s plenty of stuff that has to be done.”
He recently lost a friend of 20 years, after they had a falling out when he said he couldn’t drive 12 hours round trip to meet up at his lake house. He fears he’s lost another one when he had to turn down going to a Cardinals-Cubs baseball game – it would have been the third such trip that summer.
Still, he’s grateful for the partnership he has with his wife. “We are both very fortunate that we came across each other,” he said. “We don’t take each other for granted. We appreciate what each other does and try to give constant praise. I tell her I live vicariously through her living the corporate life. She’s happy she found someone who can sew, do woodworking and really enjoys making gourmet meals.”
One of our core missions at The Company of Dads is to help families fulfill their full potential by normalizing the role of men being Lead Dads. And Jeremy’s willingness to step up is a step forward. Welcome to The Company of Dads!
