This article was making the rounds on Facebook late last year and I just thought it was an excellent read from a regular Joe dad.
Dan starts off by describing a situation that he witnessed which is probably more common than any of us dare to consider. In this situation, a father screamed at his child until he cowered in his presence. What kind of parents wants their child to fear them, that they might lash out at any minute?
There is a healthy fear of authority, I will acknowledge, but it should not be achieved by intimidation, rather by respect and love for those in authority over us, such as our parents.
Dan is spot on in highlighting how important it is to spend time with your kids, playing with them and building a relationship with them. It doesn’t take much to be your child’s hero, but by exhibiting anger or frustration to our children, we only tell them that they are inferior to us and a cause for grief in our lives.
We need to move beyond that, to a place where we’re walking them through their mistakes, not shaming them for them. Where we’re telling our children beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are worth something, especially to us and that they can do anything they set their minds to. If they can’t believe that from us, who will they believe it from?
Dads, it’s time to man up and own being a father. With just a little effort and a renewed mindset, you can be everything in the world to your offspring. Ditch the anger and took a good hard look at what you’re telling your kids through your actions.
