Jeff Gordon: Father first

[Schwartz Fan]

Jeff Gordon: Father first
By Michael J. Fresina - NASCAR Illustrated Executive Editor - Mar. 10, 2008 Jeff Gordon family

It doesn’t matter how many baby books you read or reruns of “The Cosby Show” you have stored on TiVo, nothing prepares you for fatherhood. Sure, the months of mood swings and baby showers should help prime the pump, but they don’t. The reality of fatherhood hits in the fraction of a second it takes your child to settle into your arms for the very first time.

For Jeff Gordon, that moment came on June 20, 2007, when he and his wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, welcomed their daughter, Ella Sofia, into the world. And in the middle of his run for the Chase, nothing mattered more to the four-time Cup champion.

“It was just awesome,” he says. “You go through nine months of pregnancy and getting ready, and then in an instant it’s, ‘Oh my God, that’s my daughter.’”

Gordon never knew he could love something so much, and he isn’t shy about expressing that love for his firstborn.

“I think men have a hard time showing our emotions,” he says, “but when it’s your daughter — daddy’s little girl — she can melt your heart without even trying and there’s no way to describe it to someone who hasn’t experienced it.”

Like most dads, Gordon was initially overwhelmed by the reality of being a father.

“This incredible sense of responsibility washed over and paralyzed me a bit,” he says. “But a few weeks into it, after feeling like I had no idea what I was doing, what was supposed to be done, or what was coming next, we got into a rhythm as a family.”

Now that Ella is 6 months old, Gordon is mesmerized by how much she grows and changes everyday.

“When it’s obvious that she is beginning to understand and recognize things,” he says, “there’s nothing better.”

And don’t think just because he’s a superstar at the track that Gordon has it easy at home. He changes diapers, helps with feedings and rocks Ella to sleep.

“All of those things strengthen our connection and bring us closer together,” he says. “When she’s laying there, looking up at me, smiling, I know she needs me and she knows I’m there for her.”

Gordon’s favorite times are when he has Ella to himself, even if it’s just for a few hours.

“She and Ingrid are together all the time. She needs Ingrid,” he says. “So, when we have some time together, it’s very special to me. I like to get her out in the stroller. I like feeding her. Sometimes we just hang out and play. I try to see if she reacts differently to different toys or things on the television. I’m sure every dad does that, but it’s all brand new to me.

“Ingrid reads to her and watches ‘Baby Einstein’. Sometimes I’m like, ‘She’s just a few months old and is probably not picking any of this up.’ But Ingrid’s right. Whatever we do now, even though it may seem like she’s not old enough to get it, is laying the foundation for later on.”

Gordon is already looking forward to a time when he can begin sharing some of his favorite things with Ella.

“I think of all the stuff I experienced as a kid that I want her to see and all the things I didn’t get to do that I hope to make possible for her,” he says. “I can’t wait to take her to the beach and skiing and to Disney.”

Gordon realizes, though, that parents can’t make their children like all the same things they did as kids.

“You might love Disney and take your daughter there and she thinks it’s stupid,” he says. “She might think Fenway Park is a dump and that baseball is boring.

“I remember being allowed to discover most of my passions on my own, so I’m really excited to see what kind of things she likes. I want to experience, through her, the things that make her eyes light up.

“I had great parents who supported what I did and provided tremendous guidance. I will try to take some of the lessons I learned from them, add some of what I’ve learned in life, and hope that I help her be the best person she can.”

One thing Gordon will insist upon is that Ella take school seriously.

“Education is very important to Ingrid and me,” he says, “but neither of us finished school. Anytime you start a modeling or racing career when you’re just a kid, something is going to suffer. For both of us, it was school.”

When it comes to helping Ella with her homework, Gordon knows there will be struggles.

“Math is probably my best subject, but even on that I’m limited. Ingrid and I both have a lot of common sense and that will hopefully allow us to find the right people to help Ella with the stuff we can’t do.”

Another challenge Gordon knows he’ll face is keeping his daughter grounded.

“Let’s be honest,” he says, “I live a pretty luxurious life. Ella will be exposed to things other kids aren’t. It’s on our shoulders, as parents, to keep those things in perspective and keep her from becoming spoiled. It’s important that she be humble and down-to-earth. I had a pretty modest upbringing and will try to instill in her some of the lessons I learned from that.

“I look at Rick [Hendrick] as a second father and role model. He has done a great job raising well-grounded children in an affluent environment. He understands that the most important things in life are not things you can buy.”

Though Gordon’s baby stroller carries a rookie stripe, his strong foundation and willingness to seek guidance gives him an advantage and the confidence of a veteran parent.

Ella’s First Date

“I am not looking forward to Ella’s first date, and prefer not to think about it. I say the same things all fathers say about answering the door with a shotgun over my shoulder or not letting her date until she is 30, but what really matters is doing the things leading up to experiences like dating that allow her to make the right decisions and exercise good judgment. As parents, you just hope that you’ve taught them how to make smart decisions about everything that hits them as teenagers: dating, peer pressure, school, all that stuff.

“For now, I just have to face the fact that it is going to happen and be realistic about it.

“I have a nephew who had his first school dance this year. My sister didn’t want to think about it. I said, ‘You better think about it because it’s happening whether you want it to or not. He’s not going to skip the dance because Mom doesn’t want to think about it.’”

— Jeff Gordon, 2007


Jeff Gordon: Father first - Lifestyle - Scenedaily.com

[24girl]

Good read,thanx! I liked what he said about keeping her grounded and not spoiled. Of course you spoil them to an extent..and that little girl has her daddy sooo wrapped around her little finger!

[blueyedfairy_1]

Great Article