The 4 Rules of Fatherhood.....


Today is Father's Day. It's the one day of the year Fathers are remembered and sometimes even given gifts. Mostly Dad's are overlooked. We are the other guy in the photograph. It even starts at your wedding, usually before parenthood. There is the Bride in a beautiful one of a kind gown. Then there is the groom in a rented tuxedo. Nobody much cares about the groom.

Me & Kenny
But being a Father is very special. It's truly a gift. I didn't even realize how special until I became a Dad. The responsibility you are given when you become a parent is enormous. Think about it. A baby literally doesn't know jack. It's your job to raise them to be good people.

I love my kids. They are all different, and they are all good people. Being their Dad has been one of the greatest joys of my life. I have tried to keep certain standards for raising kids. Sometimes they are easy to follow, and sometimes they're not.

I'll call them The 4 Rules of Fatherhood.


  • 1. Never Let Your Kids Down. This has mostly to do with personal conduct. Don't get drunk in front of your kids. Never mess with a woman other than your wife. Don't curse in front of your kids. (I always say that's just a sign of a poor vocabulary.) You are a hero to your kids. Whether you deserve it or not. Act like one. This is their childhood - not yours. Don't wreck it.

  • 2. Encourage Your Kids Dreams and Interests. Again, these are their dreams and interests. Not yours. My kids happened to develop an interest in Pokemon, American Girl books, and old
    Me & Kristina
    time radio shows. So I made sure I knew who Pikachu, Mr. Jiggy  Nye, and Abbot and Costello were. Maybe you can even surprise your kids that you actually know something about them they didn't know. As they get older you can actually do research into college choices and careers. Let them know the pluses and minuses about a career. I always say find something you like to do, and then find somebody to pay you to do it.


  • 3. Tell Stories. Your kids obviously weren't around when you were a kid. They didn't know a relative that passed away. Everybody's got a funny old story to tell. Sometimes it might be about a similar situation they are going through now. Something they can learn from. But the story has to be true. Maybe you can stretch the details a bit. But the stories have to be based on facts.

  • 4. NBF - Nuthin'  But Fun. Life is hard enough. It's full of work, disappointments. and tragedy. Some of the stuff like cleaning the house, and telling kids it's time for bed: It may be a rule of Motherhood. But it's certainly not a rule of Fatherhood. Make everything you can seem like fun. Even going for a ride in the car can be fun if you have the right attitude. Make time with your kids seem special. Because it is.
Me & Anthony
I don't know. Maybe other parents have other ideas and philosophies. But these rules seemed to have help me enjoy my kids. Remember the good times. Throw out the bad.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there.



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