It’s amazing how young children can find an older movie that you may have forgotten, decide they like it, and play it over and over again.

My five year old son has done just that with Eddie Murphy’s Daddy Day Care. The really interesting thing is that when I saw this movie for the first time I saw it with the eyes of a man without children. Oh but not this time.

Now every time I watch this movie with my son, which is at least twice a week at the time I write this. I pick up the underlying messages from the movie that really motivate me as a parent and an entrepreneur.

So I’ve taken the time to explain Eddy Murphy’s 5 Daddy Nursery Lessons Parents Can and Should Implement Right Away.

The falsehood of corporate security

Eddie Murphy’s character in this film had a very important and time-consuming career in product development. He routinely responded to his cell phone call and the endless bells of emails. Most men who have worked in the corporate world can relate to this.

But then THAT happensinsert horror movie music). He and his very good friend are fired in a way that surprises Charlie (Eddie’s character) and his business partner Phil. Have any of you ever experienced this? (The author of this post raises his hand).

Charlie has to instantly come to terms with the reality that his employer had the power to disrupt the job in which he had found his identity. And it didn’t matter how much he invested emotionally. It didn’t matter what his financial obligations were. And it didn’t even matter that he had brought success to the company in the past. What’s Next?

What really matters

All of Charlie’s time was no longer occupied by meetings, presentations, emails, and phone calls. So what do you do now? Well, isn’t it obvious from the title? It was again Daddy. He came to read to his son at night and even fell asleep in bed with him. (And the crowd goes AWWWWW !!)

Now that this wasn’t the end of the movie, the importance of this quality time didn’t hit him over the head just yet. But it helped her shift her focus to home.

The joy of being present

So Daddy’s Charlie and Phil decide to embark on the fun task of starting a daycare for Daddy. In which his two sons are assistants.

With a mix of lots of poop humor, dress up play, sugar rush and sugar crash, and of course, NAP TIME. Tea Daycare for parents takes shape. Now remember the scene I talked about earlier where Charlie read to him and fell asleep to his son. Well, due to Charlie’s decision to start this business from home, he and his son spent a lot more time together.

Sidebar: This is one of those points where the movie really started talking about my own wishes as a parent and entrepreneur.

Charlie went from being an absent father for his career, to being a father present and committed by a business decision. Which brings me to the next and very valuable point.

True compliance

Since this is a family comedy, a lot of hilarity ensues, along with the challenges of two very inexperienced men who run a daycare, as they compete with the most important private academy in town.

Throughout their journey, they face surprise inspections, sabotage, and Charlie is even faced with the very difficult decision to return to his old job.

Sidebar: For me this represents the struggle that many men go through every day, when they leave their home and children.

But something surprising happens when he briefly decides to return to the corporate world and leave his innovator. Daycare for parents. While he was in the boardroom, the same man who fired him not long ago asked him to give a presentation.

THAT finally hits him on the head. Realizing that the quality time he has been able to spend with his son is priceless, he abruptly apologized and quickly went to find his son from the dreaded Academy he had been competing against. And did the BOLD FONT statement that Daycare for parents was here to stay.

What you can of your children about yourself

As I watch this movie over and over again. I simultaneously look at my son. I look at which parts of the movie make him laugh and realize that I am laughing at the same parts. I notice that this movie appeals to him more than other popular animated movies. Then I realize that he already has the desire to be a dad when he grows up, and this movie speaks of a deep desire inside him.

And guess what … I did it too when I was his age. Watching my child learn and grow highlights my own attributes that I am responsible for developing or correcting within him.

My son has such an amazingly large influence on how I have run my career and how I have come to understand the value of time. I am so thankful that it was tough enough to endure my days of being an absent parent due to career choices. Yet loving enough to forget my absence by the time I got home. (He pauses to catch his breath and not cry)

I hope this post will motivate another parent to decide that those who are more important to them are worth more of their time than anything else.

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God bless you

Rodney K.