It is time for us to change this!
Fathers focus on making a living; Daddies focus on making a life for their children. Fathers come home from work in a bad mood and take it out on their families; Daddies come home after a rough day at the office and let their families cheer them up. How do they do this? They grab their kids (and spouse) and give them a great big hug. Hugging is a great way to uplift your mood and generate positive feelings.
Daddies get down on their hands and knees and play “horse” on the living room floor. Daddies turn bath time into fantastic fun “carwashes” because they are not afraid to use their imaginations.
Daddies go out and play ball, or rough-horse, and have fun with their kids. The kids benefit greatly from interacting withDad – their hero. Their c-ordination improves and they learn to enjoy sports. By playing with Dad, they learn to take calculated risks and to push boundaries. With their dad to catch them, they can jump further and climb higher; they can ride their bikes faster. This teaches children confidence and independence.
These activities can really benefit Dads too! Your heart rate increases, which send endorphins rushing through your system – simply put, you feel great! You get a chance to forget about the stress of the day; a time to shift focus to the simple things in life and to relax. Also, getting in touch with your inner child awakens your creative mind and this helps you to solve problems so you will perform better at work too!
Fathers may shout and get irritated with a kid who cannot catch the ball properly or who struggles to learn how to ride a bike. Dads don’t get stressed out when their kids can’t do certain things. They love and accept their kids for who they are, not what they can do. Dads encourage their children to try, but also teach them that love and acceptance is not performance-based. They teach their kids that they are inherently worthwhile even though they have limitations – their message is “everyone has limitations”. Dads teach their kids that they don’t have to be the best at everything – they only need to give it a try and to work at the things they are good at. Dads teach kids to enjoy just doing things together rather than to focus on doing things perfectly.
Fathers lose their tempers when things don’t go their way; Dads laugh. Dads teach their children to laugh at life, and, more importantly, at themselves, rather than loosing their tempers when things don’t go as planned, or turn out according to their liking. Laugh about falling off your bike; laugh about struggling to carry the couch up the stairs together; laugh about catching the ball with your forehead instead of your mitt. This type of laughter is good for the soul and cements the relationship between Dad and the child, as well as teaching kids to deal with problems without getting upset. This will help them to be easy-going and relaxed as they go through life and handle stress without a problem.
Fathers say, “Get out of here! I’m busy!” Dads include their children in projects that they are doing at home. Dads will let you pass the tools as they fix the washing machine, or the car. They don’t shout when the kid gives them the wrong thing; they take the time to teach them. Dads show their kids how to do those little things around the house that they are otherwise going to have to pay a handyman a fortune to fix one day – Dads save you money! Dads involve their kids in their hobbies and give them small things to tinker with so that they develop an interest in the world around them.
Fathers spend the weekends partying with their friends; Dads take their kids fishing and camping to instill in them an appreciation for nature and respect for all life. These trips can be just the thing to help you to unwind and are another way to stimulate your creativity and problem-solving abilities.
A father will send his kid off to school; a Dad will walk with him until the time comes when the kid is ready to walk to school alone – then a Dad will sneak behind them, following from a safe distance, just to make sure they get there okay while still letting the kid think they did it all by themselves.
Fathers can be cold and distant. Dads hug their children, listen to them, and they tell their kids they love them every day. Dads teach their children compassion, strong moral values, personal responsibility, honesty and trust. Dads help their kids with their homework and teach them the value of education.
Fathers are never wrong. Dads are not afraid to admit their mistakes. Dads realize that we all make mistakes and want to teach their children to take responsibility for their actions. Real Dads are not afraid to say “I’m sorry” which teaches their children that, although you are not perfect and will make mistakes, you can take steps to put things right again.
Children learn as much from you mistakes as from your successes and Dads know this. Dads may not be perfect – they have their faults, struggles and weaknesses – but they see these as opportunities to teach their children how to get by in an imperfect world, as imperfect people, by facing their challenges and problems with a positive attitude and a strong will.
Fathers are constantly trying to catch their kids doing something wrong. Dads look out for opportunities to catch their children doing something well! Dads realize that nothing can compare to the helping value of well-earned praise!
By being a dad you can get super hero status for something as simple as getting a Frisbee off the roof. Children look up to their Dads, literally and figuratively, it is up to us to live up to our side of the bargain.
Often being a Dad is challenging and involves a delicate balancing act. You need to let your children explore the universe where and when they decide. Guide them, but don’t push too hard – be tolerant and give them space to walk on their own. In return, you get to enjoy their discoveries with them, whatever they may be.
Fathers often believe that they know everything; Dad’s realize that they can also learn from their children as they spend time seeing the world from the eyes of a child again – wide-eyed and hopeful, enjoying life’s miracles.
