Fatherhood

Fatherhood Paper

            The article I read was really good and it pointed some good points to being a good father and talks about things that should be done as a father. It gave some valuable advice so ill take some time and expand on them.

            Have fun.  Sometimes people think that being a father is always about being serious and not showing any type of notion of wanting to have fun. But you must show both sides and not be only one sided.  From doing this you will show your kids that you enjoy being their father. It may be that when you are always serious your kids won't think you love being their father and that they are only a burden to you. We don't want that.

            We should be a teacher by both word and action. Children need to be taught what is right and what is wrong. But they need to see it done by their father. It is easy to criticize kids for their mistakes. However, they need .to see fathers make decisions. Explain why a certain decision is the right one. Sit them down and tell them of past decisions and how they went wrong or you can tell them how they were wrong.  Teach them that it is ok to mistakes but the most important thing is that we learn from those mistakes. Tell them your experiences.

            Respect your children's mother.  It is important to show your children that you care and respect their mother. Children are known to mimic the actions of their parents. So you don't want them to see you not respecting their mom. Show them the true meaning of what love is and what respect it. Make parenting a partnership.

            Show affection. Sometimes men are afraid to show affection.  That can't be the case when you are a father. It is important that your kids know you love them. Your love is what will help them grow to be good people. You can't just show them you love them by buying them nice things and let them do whatever they want. You need to tell them with words that you love them and want the best for them in life.

            The job of being a father is never done.  You can't think that once your children are out of the house at age eighteen that our job is done. That goes for being a parent. Not just a father. You will obviously have to let them know that they need to become independent but don't let forget you still care for them. Let them know that you want to do what you can to help them.

            As I take time and think about the time that I have had with my father I can easily see that he did the things above really well. Something that has always impressed me with my dad is the love and respect he has shown to my mom. In my time growing up I have never seen them argue. There have been times where I can tell that maybe he didn't agree with my mom but it was never worth raising his voice, especially in front of his children. I think about this and even though I am not married it gives me some type of excitement to do the same to my future wife.

            My dad is really well off financially. This has taught me a few things. One is that hard work pays off. Also, he has never just given us anything for free. If we have wanted something extra then he makes us work for it. I know that sometimes when parents have a lot of money they get their kids nice cars or nice phones but that has never been the case with my dad. He doesn't spoil us. He gives us what we need.

            My dad has always taken time to show us that God comes first. That for me is the most important lesson he taught me in my youth. That has shaped who I am today. When we put God first then we are blessed.

            As I look ahead for when I am a father I know there are certain things I will do to make sure I am a good father. The first thing I will do is teach my example and not only by word. I want my children to look at me and see my actions and know they are good. I can't just tell them to do things without  doing them myself.

            I want to include God in all my decisions. I know that by doing so I will be a lot more successful than I would be if I made decisions alone. This also goes for my wife. We will make decisions together. It can't just be me making all of the decisions. That will not go that far if I do it like that.

            I just want to be healthy as my kids grow up. This will allow me to do activities with them and that will only strengthen our bond we have. In my opinion it is important to be physically active with your kids. I have seen the positive effect it has had on the relationship with me and my father.