Hey Dads,
This past weekend the weather was nice enough that I was able to spend some time playing out side with my two year old. Since winter has hit and the cold weather has been keeping us inside a lot, we have not had much chance to play outside. So on Sunday afternoon we went out for about half an hour and played baseball. I know that most parents brag about their children, and I am going to continue the trend. My son had hit the hard plastic wifle ball a good twenty feet, I swear if he keeps it up he is going to have his college years paid for.
What I sometimes feel is the only thing that is missing is that I am not able to play with him as much as I would like. Really there are two reasons for this, the first if obvious, I work all day, and then there are thing that need doing around the house in the evening. Secondly is the weather, while we get a great deal of sunny days, this year has been particularly cold. I know that I am feeling the cabin fever of being stuck inside just as much as he does. Sadly because I am an adult, I have better coping methods then simply running around the house like crazy because I cant go out. It’s funny but I sometimes wonder what would happen if I did follow his example when I’m feeling stuck inside? More on that later I guess.
A Fellow Father
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Hey Dads,
Part of being a dad is also being the provider for your family. At times this is an easy thing to do, you go to work, you make money, and you come home. But what happens when what your heart tells you is important is in conflict with what you do to keep food on the table? Normally people will tell you there are two options, either follow your heart and let your family suffer, which of course we would never do. Or the more likely alternative is to stay were you are, do what must be done and sacrifice your own dreams for the good of your family.
While this may seem like a good idea, I see this as setting up a very dangerous president for our children. They see us giving up our dreams, and assume that when they grow up they must do the same. The idea of noble self-sacrifice is an age old tail, we see it in movies such as “It’s a Wonderful life”, and here about it at church on Sunday. We as men feel it is our job to give of who we are for our families, and in many respects this is true. Our families need us to be the stable rock, on which all their hopes and dreams are founded, the key words there is dreams. We tell our children to dream, and that they can be anything they want to be when they grow up; however we don’t take this advice to heart ourselves. We give up our dreams in order to make theirs happen, teaching our children that only children are allowed to dream, because grown ups don’t have dreams.
I see that when we tell our children to have dreams during their childhood, and then when they are old enough to get a job we tell that they have to pick something that will make them successful ( by the worlds standards, not theirs) we say “This is your job, now be the best you can at it.” We leave them no room to continue to dream. Sadly we ourselves have forgotten what it is like to dream, so we simply continue on in our lives secretly feeling like we are trapped with no escape.
So today I offer a new idea, the idea that there is a third choice, on that could change the way we as men not only teach our sons about being providers, but also gives use the chance to follow our own dreams. I propose that making our careers and our dreams one in the same we will become better providers to our families. By following our dreams and letting our highest thoughts about them guide us, we will not only become the successful providers that we would like to be, we will also be showing our sons that they don’t have to sacrifice the deepest dreams of their hearts, but can use them to create the job that they love. I guess that if we teach our son’s and daughters to follow their dreams and live by them, that our world would change dramatically.
A Fellow Father
Part of being a dad is also being the provider for your family. At times this is an easy thing to do, you go to work, you make money, and you come home. But what happens when what your heart tells you is important is in conflict with what you do to keep food on the table? Normally people will tell you there are two options, either follow your heart and let your family suffer, which of course we would never do. Or the more likely alternative is to stay were you are, do what must be done and sacrifice your own dreams for the good of your family.
While this may seem like a good idea, I see this as setting up a very dangerous president for our children. They see us giving up our dreams, and assume that when they grow up they must do the same. The idea of noble self-sacrifice is an age old tail, we see it in movies such as “It’s a Wonderful life”, and here about it at church on Sunday. We as men feel it is our job to give of who we are for our families, and in many respects this is true. Our families need us to be the stable rock, on which all their hopes and dreams are founded, the key words there is dreams. We tell our children to dream, and that they can be anything they want to be when they grow up; however we don’t take this advice to heart ourselves. We give up our dreams in order to make theirs happen, teaching our children that only children are allowed to dream, because grown ups don’t have dreams.
I see that when we tell our children to have dreams during their childhood, and then when they are old enough to get a job we tell that they have to pick something that will make them successful ( by the worlds standards, not theirs) we say “This is your job, now be the best you can at it.” We leave them no room to continue to dream. Sadly we ourselves have forgotten what it is like to dream, so we simply continue on in our lives secretly feeling like we are trapped with no escape.
So today I offer a new idea, the idea that there is a third choice, on that could change the way we as men not only teach our sons about being providers, but also gives use the chance to follow our own dreams. I propose that making our careers and our dreams one in the same we will become better providers to our families. By following our dreams and letting our highest thoughts about them guide us, we will not only become the successful providers that we would like to be, we will also be showing our sons that they don’t have to sacrifice the deepest dreams of their hearts, but can use them to create the job that they love. I guess that if we teach our son’s and daughters to follow their dreams and live by them, that our world would change dramatically.
A Fellow Father
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Playtime
Hey Dads,
It is a never ending joy to see my son at play. The way that he creates games for himself is truly something that is remarkable. If only all of our imagination were like that still what a world this would be. He watched Disney’s Pooh’s Heffalump movie not to long again, and the day after he was telling us about the heffalumps that were in our back yard. He saw the movie once and created a game out of it. What is more amazing is even though it has been several days since he has watched the movie he is still pretending that they exist.
I recently read that children tailor their play so that they learn exactly what they need to at that moment, and that a child’s work is their play. In watching my son I see this to be very true. What some times looks like just simply romping around pulling this off the shelves is really him learning about the world around him. Things falling are teaching him about gravity, while getting into things that he has been told not to is simply a way of defining and verifying the boundaries around him. I’m sure that as I watch him and his little brother begin to interact I will be adding more on the subject of play for now I will simply say that my son is teaching me how to play again, and it is something that I had not even realized I missed.
A Fellow Father
It is a never ending joy to see my son at play. The way that he creates games for himself is truly something that is remarkable. If only all of our imagination were like that still what a world this would be. He watched Disney’s Pooh’s Heffalump movie not to long again, and the day after he was telling us about the heffalumps that were in our back yard. He saw the movie once and created a game out of it. What is more amazing is even though it has been several days since he has watched the movie he is still pretending that they exist.
I recently read that children tailor their play so that they learn exactly what they need to at that moment, and that a child’s work is their play. In watching my son I see this to be very true. What some times looks like just simply romping around pulling this off the shelves is really him learning about the world around him. Things falling are teaching him about gravity, while getting into things that he has been told not to is simply a way of defining and verifying the boundaries around him. I’m sure that as I watch him and his little brother begin to interact I will be adding more on the subject of play for now I will simply say that my son is teaching me how to play again, and it is something that I had not even realized I missed.
A Fellow Father
Monday, January 4, 2010
Teaching Right from Wrong
1/4/10
Hey Dads,
It is an interesting thing sometimes to watch a child learn about the world, there are times that this is easy and through simple play they are able to learn about words and sounds, or simply the difference between hot and cold. When it comes to learning right from wrong this can is not only challenging for the child but equally so for the parent, because we are the ones to be teaching these values.
My two year old is currently learning these differences right now, as well as learning that there are consciences to his actions. This is at time very trying on me because I find that the same punishment does not always work. Finding ways to teach him and still give a fitting punishment has stretch my imagination a great deal. Thankfully my wife is also very creative and came up with a very suitable punishment for biting. Every time he bites something, be it clothing, furniture or a person, he is going to have to scrub a small section of the kitchen floor. It is a productive punishment, and one that he did not like the first time he did it because he was being made to do something. Will it change the bad behavior we are dealing with, only time will tell.
A Fellow Father
Hey Dads,
It is an interesting thing sometimes to watch a child learn about the world, there are times that this is easy and through simple play they are able to learn about words and sounds, or simply the difference between hot and cold. When it comes to learning right from wrong this can is not only challenging for the child but equally so for the parent, because we are the ones to be teaching these values.
My two year old is currently learning these differences right now, as well as learning that there are consciences to his actions. This is at time very trying on me because I find that the same punishment does not always work. Finding ways to teach him and still give a fitting punishment has stretch my imagination a great deal. Thankfully my wife is also very creative and came up with a very suitable punishment for biting. Every time he bites something, be it clothing, furniture or a person, he is going to have to scrub a small section of the kitchen floor. It is a productive punishment, and one that he did not like the first time he did it because he was being made to do something. Will it change the bad behavior we are dealing with, only time will tell.
A Fellow Father
Friday, January 1, 2010
The begining of a Fathers Journy
Hey Dads,
This is the start of a blog for fathers, the pride, joy and hardship that go with the title Dad. I am starting this because I am filled with wonder and hope for the future as I look upon my second son who was just born, and my two-year-old son, and realized that I consider one of my greatest strengths as being a Dad. I love the look of complete trust that is in both of their eyes when they look at me. However it is much more then this, since becoming a father two years ago, I had realized that being a Dad is one of my greatest strengths, one that I am very proud of. My hope with this blog is to share not only my experience as a father, but also to give support and encouragement to all fathers, be they expecting, new, or experienced. This blog is for you.
So on to a little bit more about me, my wife and I have been married for six years, and had our first child in September of 2007. He is very much two right now, in that his favorite word is “No” and that making a mess with just about anything is easy for him. Funny enough while his use of the word “no” is sometimes annoying; I have found that his imagination and ability to learn quickly is something that fills with me wonder on a daily basis.
My youngest was born just after Thanksgiving and is now a month old. Truly there is nothing better then holding the new life that we have brought into this world in my arms. I know just by looking at him that his is going to be different from his big brother, and yet knowing that I am going to be able to watch both of them grow and learn together is something that is very exciting.
So here is to us Dad’s as we embark on the greatest adventure that we know, the challenge of teaching our children and being a dad.
A fellow Father.
This is the start of a blog for fathers, the pride, joy and hardship that go with the title Dad. I am starting this because I am filled with wonder and hope for the future as I look upon my second son who was just born, and my two-year-old son, and realized that I consider one of my greatest strengths as being a Dad. I love the look of complete trust that is in both of their eyes when they look at me. However it is much more then this, since becoming a father two years ago, I had realized that being a Dad is one of my greatest strengths, one that I am very proud of. My hope with this blog is to share not only my experience as a father, but also to give support and encouragement to all fathers, be they expecting, new, or experienced. This blog is for you.
So on to a little bit more about me, my wife and I have been married for six years, and had our first child in September of 2007. He is very much two right now, in that his favorite word is “No” and that making a mess with just about anything is easy for him. Funny enough while his use of the word “no” is sometimes annoying; I have found that his imagination and ability to learn quickly is something that fills with me wonder on a daily basis.
My youngest was born just after Thanksgiving and is now a month old. Truly there is nothing better then holding the new life that we have brought into this world in my arms. I know just by looking at him that his is going to be different from his big brother, and yet knowing that I am going to be able to watch both of them grow and learn together is something that is very exciting.
So here is to us Dad’s as we embark on the greatest adventure that we know, the challenge of teaching our children and being a dad.
A fellow Father.
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