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Music Dad
Francisco Santana, San Diego, California USA
TheSantanaBrothers.com
From DADLY Dads: Parent of the 21st Century Copyright © 2018 Motivational Press. Reprinted with permission. By Hogan Hilling and Austin Dowd.
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I am a dad to seven children, four from my current marriage, triplets plus one, Brendan, Nathan, Alexander and Daniel; and three from a previous marriage, Frankie, Franci, and Alex, who are now adults. I am also a grandfather of four grandchildren. I work as a letter carrier for the US Post Office.
One of the triplets Nathan has special needs, and music was recommended for therapy. Together with his brothers Alexander, Brendan, and Daniel and me, we formed The Santana Brothers B.A.N.D. (First initial of each boy). My cousin, Carlos Santana, has been a big influence. My hobbies are music and watching sports.
Quote.
Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe. – Gail Devers
What I do well as a dad.
I enrich their lives by participating in their lives and spending as much time as possible with them. I also encourage them to stay physically active and to be conscious of their health.
What I learned from another dad.
Raising and dealing with special needs children requires a lot of patience on a daily basis whether it’s one of them who is constantly perseverating or having big mood swings.
Lesson learned from my child.
Never give up and follow your passion. I am in awe of how our four young boys are able to manage high school, music, and competitive sports at a high level. Brendan and Alexander are high ranked USA swimmers. Nathan loves music and despite his disabilities finds the courage to overcome stage fright.
Successful fatherhood moment.
The day the four youngest boys played their first Carlos Santana song “Smooth” at a public event on stage.
Dad I admire.
Jose Santana, my uncle. He often worked two jobs to support his family and put his daughter through college and always put his family’s needs first before his own.
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Originally published in DADLY Dads: Parent of the 21st Century Copyright © 2018 Motivational Press. Reprinted with permission.
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Photos courtesy of the author.
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