THEY SEE … THEREFORE, THEY ARE

My one year old grandson recently surprised and humored his parents when he responded to the cell phone ringing by flipping open the phone and putting it to his ear to talk. He didn’t know why the phone was ringing, heck, he couldn’t even talk! All he knew was that’s what he watched his parents do. So Dad, what is your child watching you do?

What if your child were programmed, to learn from only you?

What if they were told to close their ears, and learn only from what you do?

So what are they learning, as they watch closely the life you spend?

Are you modeling the messages which you really want to send?

How do you know if you’re sending the right message? There are no parenting or child development books that address all the situations and circumstances you’ll face as a dad. So what do you do? Where do you start? My advice … start with the end in mind. Start by asking yourself what type of person would you like your child to be? Start by asking yourself what values do you want your child to have? Then start showing your child how to be that person.

If you want your child to be healthy, then ask yourself … Does my child see me exercising regularly and eating healthy?

If you want your child to be spiritual, then ask yourself … Is my spiritual faith visible and active in front of my child?

Other messages you may want to explore are:

How do I show love/affection to my child, as well as their mother?

When faced with life’s challenges, does my child see an “oh woe is me” victim or an “I can do it” champion?

How does my child see me handle anger, disappointment and frustration?

How do I demonstrate the importance of family to my child?

Being a dad requires passion and dedication. But did you ever consider that being a dad also requires humility. Yes, I said humility, because there will be times when you should step back from your position of authority and assume the role of learner … allowing the child to take the lead and to show his developing character. As you watch and learn, you’ll be able to evaluate if your messages are being absorbed.

Dads, yours is an awesome responsibility.