Responsible Father

Dads, the next time you’re thinking about complaining about your kids to other people, consider what percentage of your listeners might think: It’s probably his fault.

Each December for perhaps 8 or ten years we’ve been going to the St Croix Valley Tree Farm to get our Christmas tree. It’s a pretty drive and it makes getting the tree an event. We recommend it.

So while we were cutting down our tree, there was another family with a Mom, a Dad and two late teen age kids. The two kids seemed to be having fun and they did the cutting and we took a picture of their family for them and they took a picture of ours. There was no sign of these teens being grumpy or bored.

Later, I asked the Mom if she had any tips in raising kids who would want to do something like going to get a tree even when they’re older and she immediately said, “Do it every year.”

She said that they had considered getting a tree in a lot and the kids insisted that they do what they had done for so many years. That’s what I want.

But here’s the potentially more important point: Do you think that if this works for getting Christmas trees, it might also work for more eternally crucial habits?

Perhaps.

Dads! Play this game: Find out how little you can spend on presents for your kids and still have them experience joy when they open them.

Dads, the next time you see your child behaving badly and you think, “where did that come from?” consider yourself as a potential source of their inspiration.

And let that inspire you to change.

Dads, Anger spreads through a family. Don’t be it’s source, be it’s resolution.

Dads, pray for each of your kids by name. Today.

Dads, if your kids like relatively healthy and fairly inexpensive food for snacks, let them eat as much as they want.