Dads, do you think this advice is sound?
Father’s Day is coming up soon. So I have been speaking with parents who have grown children about parenthood and want to share with you the advice I have learned from them.
- Let your kids stand on their own two feet.
This is one thing they wish they had done differently. They wish they had not done their kids homework for them when their kids had forgotten to do it. And when their kids did something wrong like shoplifting, they wish they had allowed their kids to spend a night in jail.
Letting your kids stand on their own two feet means letting them experience failure sometimes. If you do not let your children experience their own failures, they do not learn how to live well as adults.
- Spend quality time with each of your kids as often as possible.
Many mothers have a favorite child and spend more time with that child than the others. The mothers I interviewed regret that fact that they did not spend quality time with their other children as often as possible. The children who were not the favorite child noticed this fact and carried these resentments into adulthood. These resentments made having healthy relationships with adult children very challenging.
So, these Moms advise doing your best to love all of your children equally and showing each of your children love each day. Recognize that each child is special and contributes valuable talents to the world around him or her. Look for the talents that each of your children has and encourage them to pursue their talents.
- Always think before you say or do anything!
These Moms regretted things like smoking cigarettes and cursing in front of their kids. Their kids grew up to be just like them. As teenagers, the habits their children had learned from them were distressing.
Remember that your kids watch everything you do, even as infants.
- Enable your children to develop good values.
You cannot always be with your kids every moment of their lives, but the values you instilled in them will. The advice of these Moms is to enable your children to develop good values from before birth. Do not wait until they are older to begin teaching good values.
Even infants absorb the content of movies and television programs playing within hearing range. From before birth they can hear the sound of your voice as well as other sounds, and they feel emotions in response to external stimuli. They begin to develop their value system even before birth.
If every child were exposed to moral people with good values, the world would be a better place, these parents told me. So, Dads, if you want your children to practice good Christian values, take them to church and help them develop close friends within a safe, church community. Avoid exposing them to people with poor morals and values as much as possible. And when it is not possible to avoid exposing them to possible negative influences, talk with them about the negative influence and help them counter negatives with positives.
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Dads, do you think this advice is sound? Have a happy Father’s Day!
Let the encouraging words in these near a river posts help you
soar like an eagle above life’s storms.
Is there a stumbling block in front of you?
Even your adult children need you, Dad!
Always do your best to speak kindly…
Want to look years younger?
