When my blessing was born 8 years ago I had no idea how I would parent. I came from a strict disciplinary background as probably a lot of folks did in my generation. I know the trend currently is to not be so strict.
I am strict. I feel I have to be. But I do not take it to a physical level that was common when my spouse and I were being raised. I found it didn’t work anyway. And I have to say that it is tough to resist the impulse to be even more strict, my soon to be 8 year old son is a master lawyer. Everything is an argument. Every word is arguable it seems. And he never understands that he is close to arguing himself into a time out!
What traits do you believe make a great dad?
I would love if you would leave me comments and engage in this conversation.
I believe a great dad is one who is involved with their child/children. It is not my style to only be the wage earner and let the other spouse raise the child. And there are plenty of those. I don’t believe that would create the bond I feel the child will need when they hit those gruesome teenage years. That is when feeling supported at home is more important than ever. That is why I tell my son, don’t ever be afraid to tell me anything, I will always help you. I want that to be his “go to” feeling of support in case of emergency, even if I only mean it 95%!
Growing up I did not feel my dad was as close to me as I would have liked. I also did not realize at the time how hard he was working to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. It may sound cliche, but I do have a much deeper understanding of why my dad did what he did. I am parenting in a much different way than my dad, but a lot of that is because our kids are a different generation with different concerns (media, electronics, etc.). I feel it is more imperative than ever to stay close. Our children need to be more closely monitored than ever before for their own safety.
My job is not to be friends with my son but my job is to be involved in his life. If that means watching Spongebob, iCarly, and Phineas & Ferb, than so be it. (Does that mean it is necessary to learn the Phineas & Ferb theme song? Perhaps not.) It is also my job to know who his friends are. To see who he is hanging out with in the playground. He loves to hang out with kids older than himself. I don’t think that is a great idea so I feel it is important to keep an eye on that type of situation. Older kids tend to teach younger kids things that are beyond their years because it seems funny to them. It is not funny to the parents.
Another important trait that works for me is to be a strong disciplinarian. I didn’t say strict on purpose. My son knows my rules and may not follow them immediately but knows when I am serious enough that he must. I can tell from his other relationships with adults that I have his respect. And that is on top of my own insecurity when I feel I am too strict and afraid that I might push him away.
And for me my most important parenting trait is to hug and say I love you. Often.
Which brings us to this fun contest. Who is the best TV dad?
Vote here.
It works like those other bracket contests you’ve heard of, but unlike the NCAA, you have the power. Scout the match-ups, read the bios and vote for the winner. Check back every Monday for the next round of match-ups all leading to June 17, when they unveil to the world, your World’s Greatest TV Dad.
There aren’t many rules. Vote as many times as you’d like, as often as you wish. Each new round of voting begins at 12:01 AM Monday morning and ends at 11:59 PM Sunday night. Debate with other voters in the comments field on the site. Write what you think makes a dad great today – the attributes you believe make a good father and how the role has changed over the last 50 years.
I will tell you that my first vote went to Michael Kyle, Damon Wayans character on the hit TV show, My Wife and Kids. This is currently one of our favorite shows on TV. I voted for Michael Kyle’s character because I like the way he is involved with his kids upbringing and doesn’t leave it all to his wife like many other characters. Watching other families where the parents are closely aware of what their kids are up to is good for my son to see as well, he needs to know he is often being watched. After all, I want to be his conscience!
I also especially love the way this character uses humor while raising his kids. I also try to do that when I can. Of course it is easy with an almost 8 year old son, a few fart jokes and he is mine!
Have you seen the website hosting this contest? Man Of The House is a great resource web site for all things man!
Categories discussed include:
Food & Cooking from the man’s perspective.
Money & Career Info and Advice.
Everything around the house from DIY to special projects.
Tech info.
Family & Parenting discussions, including a tab on homework!
Guy relationship talk.
And looking and feeling good, not only the metrosexuals are taking better care of themselves these days, most men are!
And thanks to this website, making the toasted marshmallow milkshake is now on my to do list!
I always encourage my readers to discover for themselves, is daddy Mitch’s recommendation any good? Check out the site for yourself. There are so many topics to choose from, find one that suits your interest, and read what there is on the subject. Check out the cool new baby products for dads, show your wife what you have discovered on your own, you know she will be pleasantly shocked!
So remember, check out the contest, vote often here, and let us know your thoughts on the dads role in the family!
Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received promotional items to thank me for taking the time to participate. I also used this as an opportunity to write from the heart about my feelings on being a dad.
ITA with you – so important to be a strong disciplinarian, and that doesn’t have to mean using physical force.
I also like how you talked about how important it is to be involved in your child’s life – from knowing who he hangs with on the playground, to knowing the sites he hangs out at online. It’s a different day than it was years ago and, just as you stated, this is very necessary for his safety.
Great post, Daddy Mitch! Although my boys are very little now, I’m definitely taking notes from you.
P.S. I like Damon Wayan’s character on there too. That’s a cute show!
There are a lot of TV dads to choose from. It may take me a while to pick one out. Where is Hank Hill? LOL