Experiences of fathers from 19 to 73By JESSICA BARNETT Name: Dustin Hawkins Age: 28 Children: Saria, 8 months; Alexander, 5; Seth, 6; William, 7 Dustin Hawkins is not your typical 28-year-old. He already has four children and doesn’t get much free time because, he says, his role as a father comes first. "I think of myself as a little bit more mature than other people, but I wasn’t until I had kids,” he said. Hawkins met Richelle, his former wife and mother of their children, at Hickey College in St. Louis. The two were married for six years. The three boys and a girl live with their mother, but Hawkins has joint custody. He sees the children one day a week and every other weekend, but he also drops by often to borrow them for a trip to the park or for ice cream. All three of Hawkins' sons are very high energy, he said, and like swimming, martial arts and soccer. Hawkins said it’s probably one reason he stays in good shape. He said he likes his children to be involved in sports because he wants them to know the importance of teamwork. He used to work as a karate instructor after studying martial arts most of his life. Once he got into college and began thinking about having kids, he decided he needed to find what he calls a “real job.” Currently, he works for the collection agency TOG, dealing with insurance companies to settle medical bills. In what free time he has, he works on an independent film titled "Ikari," an epic fantasy. Hawkins is director, producer, editor, writer and actor. He is also the owner and founder of Juigador Productions, a small non-profit association of independent amateur filmmakers. He has been working on Ikari for years and hopes it will air on a local television station next month. “It’s a little bit of a heartache, but it’s worth it,” he said about fitting work on the film around his role as a father. Hawkins lives with his current girlfriend of eight months, Tara Barnett, 30, her dog Reno and cat Maya. She is an acupuncture apprentice at the Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center in Columbia. The two met raising money for the Obama for America campaign. “He is definitely the best dad I’ve ever met, and all the kids in my life adore him as well," Barnett said.
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 IVY ASHE/ Missourian Dustin Hawkins, back left, and 8-month-old daughter Saria look on as Hawkins' three boys and the younger cousins of girlfriend Tara Barnett, far left, enjoy dessert (from left, Seth Hawkins, 6; Omar Huesca, 6; William Hawkins, 7; Christopher Huesca, 2; and Alex Hawkins, 5). Hawkins spends every other weekend and every Thursday with his four children. The family will be spending Father's Day weekend camping. |