Dads do it all: from teaching and coaching to snuggling and adventuring, there’s no one like Dad to lift you up with a piece of advice or a corny dad joke. Read on for four fatherhood journeys in celebration of Father’s Day on June 19. Happy Father’s Day!

Dave has been in business with his brother Anthony since 2004 at Sacco & Sacco Insurance Brokers, LLC (saccoins.com) and he's been a father since 2011. He and wife Monique have three daughters: Natalie (11) and twins Camille and Elizabeth (7). A true family man, Dave is also a giving community member: He has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Historic Folsom for 12 years, and currently serves as President. He also coaches his younger daughters’ soccer team, and plans to summit Mt. Whitney this year for a second time.

 

Describe your foray into fatherhood. My wife and I were married for four years before having our first daughter. It was another three years before we had our twins. Having three girls has showed me how important patience and empathy are to raising strong-willed children.
 
What’s your parenting style? My wife and I are supportive of our children. We give them opportunities to help them figure out what activities interest them like gymnastics, track, soccer, tennis, basketball, art, and dance. We also do our best to provide a nurturing home environment, so they can do well in school and become a positive force in this world.
 
How has fatherhood changed you? I take more time to get to know people before passing judgement. My priorities have definitely changed. I value my relationships with my friends and family more than ever.
 
What life lessons do you hope to impart to your children? I hope my children grow up to understand that the world is bigger than they think. The most important thing is not what others think of them, but what they do to help improve the lives of other people. I also want them to know that “family” can include close friends who you can depend on whenever you need them, or they need you.

Best part about being a dad: Knowing I have three kids that love me more than anything.
Favorite activity to do with the kids: Anything that makes them laugh and smile.
Your ultimate dad superpower: I make awesome pancakes.
Best dad advice: Be patient and try not to lose your temper in front of your kids.
When the going gets tough… Relax. Everything will work out.

A realtor and active community member, Steve, and wife Rosemary, have two daughters: Jennifer (34) and Stephanie (29) along with two grandsons. He has been the Chair of the Folsom Arts & Culture Commission, a board member of the Folsom Cordova Community Partnership, served as a mentor to children of incarcerated parents through Roots and Horizons, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Folsom Chamber of Commerce. In his spare time (yes, he does have some), Steve enjoys local trails, wineries, and concerts.

 

Describe your foray into fatherhood. When my first child was born, I went from wild and free to super dad seemingly overnight. All of a sudden, the world didn't revolve around me, and I had to think of this beautiful little girl who was depending on me. Little by little, I followed the lessons my father had taught me simply by doing. I became more patient, kind, and started telling dad jokes.

What’s your parenting style? I believe in pumping a kid with positive messages, showering them with affection, having high expectations, and knowing that they are more than capable. I always told them I'll never be disappointed if they sincerely try, and from childhood to this very day, I want my daughters to know that they always have a safe place to land in my home.  

 

How has fatherhood changed you? It made me more patient, gentler, gave me perspective and appreciation for life, and dare I say it, made me even more hilarious than ever.
 
What life lessons do you hope to impart to your children? The importance of being good to themselves, their family, and the world. I want them to focus more on happiness and family than on winning or conquering.

Best part about being a dad: The love I share with my kids and grandkids. I am blessed to know that my kids always want to hang out with the old man.  
Favorite activity to do with the kids: With the grown ones, food and wine adventures. With the grandsons, parks, ice cream missions, toys, and dancing.  
Your ultimate dad superpower: I hope it's soothing a sad or worried heart. I always listen with an open mind and try to give perspectives and assurances they may not have thought of. And jokes.  
Best dad advice: For dads: Listen, encourage, indulge, and support your kids. They will have their fill of people who don't.
When the going gets tough… Remain calm, take a step back and look at the big picture, take responsibility for your role, then do what's best.

Adam hails from Poland and owns Adam’s Meat Shop (adamsmeatshop.com) in Folsom along with his new endeavor Adam’s Sausage Factory in Rancho Cordova. When not at work, he helps the community through Friends of Folsom and volunteers at schools and with sports teams. But the biggest accomplishment in his life is being a father to his and wife Odette’s son, Logan (7).

 

Describe your foray into fatherhood. It was love at first sight with my son and as soon as I saw him, I knew my life is changed. Also, cliché as it sounds, you never really understood the love your parents had for you until you become one.

What’s your parenting style? As I am very easygoing, my parenting style is similar. I let my son try and explore even if deep inside I am terrified and just want to be protective. My dad was very hands-on and taught me a lot of skills for fixing things at home, and I try to do the same with my son. He (still) loves tagging along when we have to fix cars or motorcycles or just to do any yard work outside.  

 

How has fatherhood changed you? I am very mindful of what I do because I know that there is a little person looking up to me, so I try to be a dad that my son will be proud of. I feel like I have acquired a great deal of patience that I never knew I had in me. I never really imagined that going to sleep at night would mean reading the same book three times just because my son loves it so much.

What life lessons do you hope to impart to your child? At his age right now, my son would tell me what he wants to be when he grows up one day and that changes all the time. One day he wants to be an astronaut, the next day he wants to be an artist. I always tell him that he can be whatever he wants to be as long as he works hard for it. There is no shame in failure—you get up and try again.

Best part about being a dad: The funny stories, snuggles and precious little moments that I cherish the most. Seeing my son’s first steps, hearing his first words, his first bike ride, first day at school, watching his first home run—those are the moments that I live for!
Favorite activity to do with your son: Going outdoors for a bike or motorcycle ride, going to the lake or beach, and camping. Any time just spent with my son, even just going to a carwash or out to eat chicken wings!
Your ultimate dad superpower: My son thinks I can fix anything!
Best dad advice: You can be whatever you want to be as long as you work hard for it.
When the going gets tough… Just keep swimming!

Tim was born in Belgium, raised in Holland, and immigrated to the U.S. when he was 14. Learning English in middle school proved difficult, but he gained a love for teaching and eventually earned a master’s degree in distance learning. He has kept a busy career in sales, but still finds time to give back. Due to the early arrival of their twins, Tim and wife Elanie started the non-profit, Friends of NICU (friendsofnicu.org). Their mission is to help families spends more time with their sick babies.

 

Describe your foray into fatherhood. When my wife and I were dating, we talked about wanting a big family should things work out between us. We both said that four would be a nice number. Our firstborn, Kevin (18), arrived on Mother’s Day, 2003—perfect pregnancy and delivery. Our twins, Matt and Ryan (16), arrived 10 weeks early and spent 10 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and our last one, Jacob (13), was delivered exactly on time. Perfect analogy for parenting: Constant rollercoaster ride and you never know what to expect or which end is up! In the end, with the right support, we found our way through it and came out better because of it.

What’s your parenting style? I love spending time with our boys and working on sharing as many experiences and memories as we can. Anything outdoors: camping, dirt biking, cars, scuba diving, hiking, paddle boarding, surfing, biking, and boating. Anything we do together I will commit myself one hundred percent to. I’ve always been involved coaching their sports teams and even got scuba certified with our youngest because he didn’t play a lot of sports at the time. Giving and volunteering are an essential part of our family.

How has fatherhood changed you? It has humbled me and given me a greater purpose in life. It has also shown me what the word “grace” really means and how incredibly important it is in parenting. Parenting has opened my eyes to racial inequality and injustice in this country as well as the mental health crisis, and I’ve made it a point to use all the privileges I enjoy to speak out and speak up.

What life lessons do you hope to impart to your children? I hope I’ve shown our boys how important family is and how to treat their mom and, in turn, women in general. Be faithful, respectful, kind and supportive, and always put family first. The expectation of our boys is to stand up for those who need it most and realize how much they can really do to help.

Best part about being a dad: Watching our boys find their way—each completely different from the other.
Favorite activity to do with the kids: Anything outdoors but particularly dirt biking and camping.
Your ultimate dad superpower: Lie Detector aka my gut instinct. 100% accurate, however, not always followed.
Best dad advice: I’ve learned that the best gift we can give our kids is the gift of time. With four boys, I’ve realized that every kid develops at their own pace—sometimes it takes a little extra time and that’s okay. Ignore the noise, focus on what matters most.
When the going gets tough… The importance of family, trust and unconditional love becomes essential. We have faced some pretty tough times and without the trust and unconditional love of my wife, we never would have pulled through it.