It can be said that any man who procreates is a father, whether present in that child's life or not. While this is technically true, it really takes a man to be a dad!
There is nothing more insulting than a cavalier man thinking he has every right in the world to see the child he helped to create, but was never there for him or her. It is as if he or she is obligated to him like that of a debt.
As a child of a broken home and now as a father myself, I know the purest definition of being a dad is the time spent with your child that will always prevail in the end.
Would you remember your father more if he was a millionaire but never there, or a near-penniless man who spent time with you and showed you the love you needed?
To me, it's a no brainer!
However, many dynamics can and do interfere with being a dad. Turmoil-ridden marriages, separations, relocations, resentment from the child, and the ever-abundant brainwashing of a child to hate.
So if you're a father doing his best to be a dad, how do you overcome such obstacles?
Do everything in your power to maintain the bond you have with your child! If that means following that child to Timbuktu and lose your career, getting on better terms with the child's mother, or simply putting more time into strengthening the father-child relationship.
If there is anything I can take from my own father, is that of sporadic appearances and child support from over 2000 miles away never satisfied my need for a dad. Today, as a 32 yr. old man, it has never been so evident how important a dad is in a child's life. My humble opinion is that I would have had a lot less security issues had a dad been present in my childhood.
When your child was created, that little person should have been the most important part of your existence and to vow never to break that mindset should have been paramount. The seriousness of having a child from the conception and subsequently recognizing his or her importance could be the factor with dead beat dads in most cases.
How do you rank your values?
Simply put, if you're ranked above your child, you're not being a dad, you're the father of that child who simply donated your sperm for his or her life.
Instead of just being a donor to another's life, commit to taking the time to know your child and let them get to know you no matter what the conditions.
With this in mind, you will be doing the most important job of your life and that is helping the life you created become a loving, well adjusted person who can pass these parenting traits down to the next generation.
After all, isn't that what being a dad is all about?
by Brian Maloney-ValuePrep.com
Want to improve your personal values? Get high-quality relationship advice for guys and women from a 'Logical' standpoint.
Visit valueprep - relationship advice
**Attn Ezine editors / Site Owners**
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your website as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above.
The 'phone conversation had nothing at all to do with... Read More
"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds... Read More
In "The Ring Bear," a picture book by Tigard resident... Read More
No matter what you say or do, your kids will... Read More
The human brain never actually stops developing. Beginning formation in... Read More
The successful preschool idea behind many successful preschool learning centers... Read More
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With... Read More
Predicament:My son is 4 1/2 years old. His younger brother... Read More
Vouchers, which give tax money to parents to pay for... Read More
Moms and dads, are there times you think that parenting... Read More
What a dreamer I am when thinking about parenthood. Most... Read More
At first I thought of titling this article "The Lazy... Read More
The techniques of managing relationships between parents and their children... Read More
A parent writes in, ``We are having a hard time... Read More
Are you worried about your child's reading habits? Perhaps you... Read More
Traditionally, babies have been named at a christening/baptism.... Read More
As Mother's Day approaches I would like to give a... Read More
The biggest trick some child predators' are using these days... Read More
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend,... Read More
Sometime the most effective training tool in rapidly accelerating the... Read More
You know that children can get into trouble. The older... Read More
Self esteem in an important quality for all children to... Read More
Here is an easy, inexpensive and fun kid experiment for... Read More
Do you think you really know your child? I don't... Read More
The Internet is one of the greatest inventions of all... Read More
What's new and effective in the treatment of Attention problems?... Read More
As a step daughter and step grand daughter, I followed... Read More
NY -- Strange as it may sound, bordom promotes happier,... Read More
Working with adults (as well as children and teens) for... Read More
From the time the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in... Read More
It has been a long day. Home from work, you... Read More
Chaim Ginott was a schoolteacher whose ideas and observations helped... Read More
There are times when my ideas of raising a child... Read More
It was a day that I will forever be etched... Read More
Let's face it.The job market is getting tougher every day.Computerization... Read More
"Hugging is healthy: it helps the body's immunity system, it... Read More
"I took care of Callie," my three-year-old announced.Callie had been... Read More
Individualism is a common thing in today's modern society. Many... Read More
What's hard for teenagersHaving people who don't understand you trying... Read More
She slipped her small, soft eight-year-old hand into mine. Her... Read More
The Theme from MASHI flipped the button on the remote... Read More
Summertime means insect bites and stings. Ouch! Take a leaf... Read More
For the first year or two of life outside the... Read More
As mothers, we play so many different roles and most... Read More
Sometime the most effective training tool in rapidly accelerating the... Read More
This may come as a surprise, but many parents are... Read More
Most of us recognize the continuing escalation of violence around... Read More
Do you have a consistent problem with your child lying... Read More
Loving your step-child can be both simple and hard. It... Read More
Children and teenagers are relentlessly bombarded with merchandise that entices.... Read More
Parenting |