Parenting requires both conviction and flexibility. Nick Sabio is learning how to live in that tension every day.
Nick lives in Laguna Hills with his wife and their three kids, ages eight, five, and three. He serves as an associate pastor, a role that shapes not just how he leads others, but how he approaches fatherhood at home.
Same Values, Different Kids
The hardest part of parenting, Nick says, is learning how to parent each child differently while holding onto the same core values.
What works for one doesn’t always work for another. Personalities differ. Needs change. The challenge is finding the balance between extending grace and calling kids toward growth they can’t yet see in themselves.
That balance is ongoing. And humbling.
Why Connection Matters Most
The most rewarding moments of fatherhood aren’t the big wins. They’re the invitations.
When his kids ask him to play. When they come to him for help. When they say “I love you” without being prompted. Nick also sees the fruit of connection when his kids show kindness and hospitality to friends at church or neighbors in their community.
Those moments are quiet confirmations that love is landing.
What Kids Multiply
One thing Nick wishes he knew earlier is how much kids multiply whatever you give them. Love and affection tend to come back as joy and trust. Constant criticism and judgment tend to create distance and insecurity.
That realization changed how he parents. Less pressure. More presence.
The advice that stuck most reinforces that approach: the best thing you can do for your kids is love their mother well. For Nick, that’s not just good marriage advice. It’s foundational parenting wisdom.
A Typical Day at Home
Nick’s days start with a workout, then time with the kids while his wife makes breakfast. After work, evenings are built around presence. Walks together. Playing outside. Dinner. A few rounds of Uno. Then bedtime.
It’s not flashy. It’s consistent.
When work, life, and family collide, Nick is quick to credit his wife. She’s the anchor of the household. She manages the calendar, homeschools the kids, runs the home, and supports him. After nearly ten years of marriage, they’ve learned to function as a team, especially in busy seasons.
A Rhythm That Grounds Them
One of the most life-giving practices in the Sabio household is their weekly 24-hour Sabbath. Phones off. No distractions. Time together.
They eat meals as a family, play outside at the beach, explore off-road trails, and practice intentional joy. That rhythm has become a reset not just for Nick, but for the entire family.
A Non-Negotiable Tradition
For more than six years, Thursday nights have been sacred. Every week, without exception, it’s Slumber Party Night.
The kids and Nick set up a massive bed that takes over the living room floor. Movies play. Games come out. Snacks disappear. They stay up as late as they can. It’s loud, messy, and easily the most fun tradition their family has.
Time Alone
When Nick gets time to himself, he keeps it simple. Surfing. Working on his truck. Organizing the garage. Quiet, hands-on work that clears his head.
Nick’s story is a reminder that great fatherhood isn’t about perfection. It’s about love that multiplies, rhythms that restore, and showing up again and again.
You can follow Nick at @sicknabio or @lazarusoverlandfam.
