PARENTING
Eight Great Dad Essentials
CBN.com – Fathers play an important role in the lives of their children.
Here are eight parenting tips that fathers may find helpful.
1. Stay attached – no matter what. It’s amazing what
the smallest gesture of love and connection can do. Even spending a short
amount of time asking questions and connecting every day is better than
giving up.
2. Stand by mom. Stay connected to your children and encourage
them to stay connected to their mom. This teaches boys to respect women.
Rather than teasing a boy about his need for his mother, encourage the
relationship.
3. Value who they are. Instead of loving your children based on what
they do, choose to value who they are. Love your child not for what you wish
he had but for the qualities which come naturally to him.
4. Develop your own style. Develop your own style of playing, teaching,
and nurturing your child. Research shows that your style, even though different
from that of your spouse, is extremely valuable to your child.
5. Do not be the "policeman" dad. Try to avoid becoming
the "heavy" or "bad cop"; instead, work with your spouse
to provide discipline jointly and cooperatively.
6. Show rather than tell. Make the learning process one that teaches
by "what I do" rather than "what I say".
7. Be aware of your own "father longings." Many men harbor
memories about being teased or mistreated by their fathers for not being "masculine"
enough or for disappointing their father. Muster the courage to go beyond
these memories and avoid repeating the same kind of shame-based upbringing
for your own boys.
8. Show emotions. Let your children know that even as an adult, you
sometimes feel lonely, vulnerable, or afraid, that you shed tears, and yearn
for hugs. By expressing these things, you demonstrate that you can be trusted
with all his feelings and experiences.
Taken from the book Make Room for Daddy by Elisa Morgan & Carol Kuykendall.
Used by permission of New Life Ministries. New Life Ministries has a variety
of resources on men, women and relationships. Call 1-800-NEW-LIFE or visit www.newlife.com.
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