On his way home from hockey practice four years ago, Chad Starkey told his best friend that he was ready to start a family with his wife, Amanda. The plan was three kids.
“My friend just smiled and said, ‘I think you’re going to have all girls,'” Starkey remembers.
And the stars aligned. First came Harper, age 3, then Dylan, age 2, and in April they welcomed baby Sloane.
“I think girls are wonderful,” he says. “I have two older sisters, so I was raised by three women.”
For Chad, it was important to make sure he doesn’t gender-define his daughters’ interests or taste. “Not everything has to be pink,” he says. “But the truth is, they like pink and that’s OK.”
So he introduces them to things he loves (like skateboarding), but also will do things they love, too (like tea parties). “I just like to spend time with them – doing things that make them happy.”
- What he loves most about his daughters: “They are naturally nurturing and caring, taking care of their baby dolls, noticing when someone is upset.”
- What he wants for them: “To be good, positive people who aren’t afraid to try anything. No limitations.”
Photo by Lauren Jeziorski
Click on the images below to meet more local dads and their daughters: