Like many parents, our Lead Dad of the Week Ron Oltmanns traded off lead parent duties with his wife Angela. Years here, years there – and it worked for their family and their careers.
Born in Venezuela and raised in New Mexico, Ron thought he was going to be a professor before taking his divinity degree into the world of executive coaching (Leadskill.com). When the family moved to Shanghai in 2010, his wife became the lead parent; when they moved to Texas in 2014, Ron took on that role.
“I got a job at a local private school so I could be with my boys,” he said. “I wanted to get them through the middle school years – and it worked!”
The toughest times were when he wasn’t the Lead Dad. “They had to go and do things without me,” he said. “That was tough. I felt like I was missing out.”
His sons are now 19 and 21, with one in college and one figuring out what’s next. He has some wisdom to share: “Learning to just relax and knowing I don’t have to be the perfect parent. For so many years I tried to do it right and do it perfect. That’s just a frustration. Now your new role is more to watch and see. They don’t want a coach in their ear.”
Welcome Ron to The Company of Dads.
