Fab Dad: Ryan Freng
Dad-of-six Ryan Freng is the creative director and founder of Madison-based Backflip Creative Marketing Studio. Between Freng and his two partners, Joe Shoemaker and Scott Pfeil, the team has 14 kids. “Lots of dadding happening,” he says.
Dad to: Clare, 12; Hannah, 10; Sebastian, 8; Damien, 6; Magdalene, 4; and Mary, 2
Hometown: Madison, WI
Favorite ways to spend family time in WI: One of my favorite ways to spend time with the kids is our Saturday trips. My wife often works on Saturday mornings so I’ll get the kids up, and we’ll go to the farmer’s market on the capital. We’ll get some hot spicy cheese bread, maybe some veggies. Then we’ll go to the library (Hawthorne or Monona) and get a bunch of books. Then we take our books and bread and go get ice cream. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention our family pub, as we call it. Now that everyone can ride, we love riding our bikes (all eight of us) to Karben4 Brewing. We can ride there and spend an hour or two playing board games on the patio. My wife and I will sample Ryan and Zak Koga’s (owners of Karben4) latest brew and the kids drink root beer.
Your most rewarding fatherhood moment: It changes constantly. Every day there are amazing moments. Pick a kid, and I could easily list many. If I have to narrow it down to one though, my daughter Magdalene (Maggie) comes to mind. Most mornings when I come downstairs, Maggie is just starting her breakfast. I say, “Good morning, Maggie,” and she replies, “Good morning, Dad.” This is likely in the midst of the other kids bickering and the four oldest trying to get ready for school. The simple joy, love and trust in those words fill my heart. Our life is full of challenges so these little moments are awesome.
Biggest challenge as a dad: Patience. Parenting is hard, and it often seems overwhelming. For me, patience is the biggest challenge I face. In the midst of chaos, I want everyone to listen and fall in line. When that doesn’t happen, I lose my patience quickly. It’s one the the things I’m always working on and helping my kids with: take a breath and respond with love.
A father who inspires you and why: Most of my male friends are fathers themselves, and they inspire me in different ways. I appreciate the challenges they share and how they’re working on them. Hearing their stories always inspires me to be better.
Best piece of advice for a new dad: Your kids think the world of you. Remember that even the small things are huge to them. Take every opportunity you can to share those little moments with them.
Your biggest hope for your children: I hope my children can stay involved in their faith and can develop and keep a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. From there, all good things can flow.
How are you celebrating Father’s Day: I’ve worked on five of the last seven Father’s Days with the Madison Area Music Awards Red Carpet. Because of this, we don’t have a regular tradition. I’m looking forward this year to relaxing with my family and having no agenda. If it’s sunny though, there’s a good chance we’ll bike to Karben4 and enjoy our favorite games with our favorite drinks.