Thinking Like a Boy, Acting Like a Man
Published June 26, 2023 · 7:45 · 142,672 views
About This Video
Van's son is about to turn five, and Van has spent more one-on-one time with him in those five years than his own father managed during Van's entire childhood. The video is ostensibly about building a desk, Hot Wheels track, and loft ladder for the boy's new bedroom. Racing to Long Beach for a wooden ladder, drilling and sanding in the garage.
But it's really about intergenerational fatherhood. Van's dad, Barry Neistat ("Barry Nice Guy" to friends) had four kids by 30. Van has one at 48. Keeping the boy alive keeps the boy in Van alive, and the debt we owe our parents we pay unto our children.
Transcript
this week's video the one you're watching now will be on YouTube next week's video will be on patreon I don't believe this but I'm clicking order anyway purchase complete your confirmation number is blah blah blah I hope Alco in Ohio is legit and uh I'm going to get my ladder later that day good morning van I apologize probably too too expensive blah blah blah blah blah it turns out finding a wooden ladder is what we used to call in the pre-eCommerce era a golden goose chase hey Daddy I want a Golden Goose I want one I want a Golden Goose had to race to Long Beach to find these Beauties and one of these will fit the Loft perfectly one hour of racing on the highway my son is about to turn five and I think I've spent more one-on-one time with him during his first 5 years than my father was able to spend with me during my entire childhood by the time he was 30 my dad had four kids I'm 48 and I have one I finally got the wooden ladder on Father's Day couple of months ago we built our boy's first bedroom Isabelle designed it contractors built it I get to do the desk Hot Wheels track and Loft ladder this episode is about relationships and thank you betterhelp for sponsoring this episode and teaching me how to improve my relationships therapy is an excellent entry point into understanding our minds and better help is an excellent entry point into therapy they have an online questionnaire that you fill out very simple basic questions and answering the questionnaire connects you to the most appropriate therapist for your needs if you don't like your therapist you can switch to a different therapist and better help will meet you at your comfort level be it text Audio Only or audio video a lot of these videos I make you hear this narrator's voice say the spirited man this and the spirited man that and that is me looking back at myself looking back from a um less emotional point of view at my behaviors and feelings and I I learned how to do that through working with therapists so if you're curious about therapy or you're in need of a therapist um check out the link below and there's also it's the same Link in the description thank you better help I thought about building a ladder but ladders are deceivingly sophisticated to make especially a nice lightweight ladder like the old wooden painters step ladders just look at this thing it's uh I just find them so beautiful put them on my foot sorry buddy I was wasn't paying close attention all right so so for the past two months or so the boy had been climbing our 6-foot aluminum ladder up into his bed and me too to read to him the 6ft ladder was just too high in the top step is a shin Basher and that's how come the five footer don't worry about those electrical wires he knows not to lick them mini French bevels and a strip of quarter inch ply under that this is not a step step to hang it my dad worked with his dad in in the family business which must have been miserable but our dad never pushed us into anything thank God and he respected our childhood his kids us we were his hobby my dad's not dead or anything I was just thinking about him as I built these things for my boy it's a little desk for you sit down I think I made it high I made it a little high on purpose so I could sit there with you is that good good height yeah my dad's name is Barry Barry neistat and when I was a kid people used to call him Barry nice guy and they call me van mean stat but keeping this boy alive keeping my boy alive helps keep the boy in me alive and it's the boy in me that allows me to to make these videos I think and I have my parents to thank for that especially my dad look over here up there thanks Dad Isn't that cool can you can I put it on yeah here I'm going to get your cars but well this is pretty good oh oh it fell out of the bucket it's supposed to fall in the bucket here try the and the debt we owe our parents we pay unto our children oh I missed the bucket I missed the bucket okay I'll give you these three here try on this week's patreon only video if I was to make a YouTube video about the honest like biggest conflict in my life almost every every week it would be what am I going to make for a video and then the conflict of making that video so this week I am indulging in that conflict