James Van Der Beek had all five of his kids by his side for Father’s Day.
The Pose actor, 42, shared an honest and authentic Instagram post on Sunday, where he divulged the difficulties in fatherhood but also the blessings that come with being a dad to Gwendolyn, who turned 1 on Saturday, Emilia, 3, Annabel Leah, 5, Joshua, 7, and Olivia, 8½.
“For me, being a father means having that quiet little voice inside of you that says ‘Be a better man,’ get louder and more consistent … to the point where you can’t really remember where that voice ends and where you begin,” the actor wrote. “It means being tired beyond what is probably healthy, and patient beyond what you previously thought possible. And even though you know you’re far from perfect … being a father also comes with an unshakable awareness that all your actions have consequences — context that reaches far beyond your own self-interest.”
Van Der Beek continued, “It’s scary to feel that interconnected with the rest of the world — especially with your heart now walking around outside your body — because it demands more personal responsibility … but it will make you a better man. Of at least that I’m sure.”
“#HappyFathersDay to all the imperfect dads out there, trying their best and learning on the job.?#fatherhood,” he concluded his note.
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The actor previously offered advice to fellow dads last month, when he shared a snapshot of himself and his oldest child Olivia, acknowledging the importance of a father’s relationship with his daughter.
“Dads, date your daughters,” he encouraged. “Drive responsibly, put down your phone, invest in everything they have to say and treat them like they’re the most valuable human in the room, if not the world.”
“And then (theoretically), once they start dating for real, they’ll have a bar … and anyone who doesn’t meet that bar, you won’t have to tell them — they’ll make that call for themselves. #DateNight #SetTheBarHigh,” Van Der Beek continued, concluding, “(I’ll let you know in about ten or fifteen years if this actually works ??).”
The deep moments of parenthood are flanked by hilariously memorable ones for Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly, too. In late March, he shared a throwback photograph of himself and one of his children cuddling, both sound asleep as the baby rested on his chest. The only problem? He had no idea which child it was.
Kimberly, 37, was in the same boat, commenting on the sweet photo, “Who is that?!! I’d say Gwen but judging by your hair it’s Emilia … or Olivia … ?”
After her husband replied, “I’m guessing Olivia … but could be Joshua,” the mother of five quipped in a confident follow-up comment, “Actually … I think Olivia.”
The time stamp may have given the parents a clue, though. As the Dawson’s Creek alum explained in a reply to his wife’s latter remark, “Just checked the date on the photo. If it’s correct (and not the date it was imported or screen-grabbed) … this is Annabel,” adding wide-eyed, red heart and crying-laughing emojis.
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