A Father with His Children

Resources/Articles

Shawn Bain
06/16/19 - Articles From Our Bulletin

Just a few thoughts for fathers…

Always have a daily bedtime reading from the Bible or Bible story and prayer.
Go on a walk with your child and talk about what you see as you go. Collect things together (leaves, rocks, bugs, etc.).
Create habits that connect you with your wife and children like phone calls from work or special “daddy” arrival time when you walk through the doorway at the end of the day.
Take random pictures of you with your children and post them on the wall in their room or on the refrigerator.
Go on dates with your daughter(s).
Go on separate “boy” type trips with your son(s). Go during the daytime or overnight.
Tell your children funny stories only a father could tell and make them laugh so they want you to tell it again sometime. Use special “voices,” motions, facial expressions, and sound effects.
Get on your child’s level physically. Squat, kneel, or lie on the floor when you talk to or play with him or her.
Read a book with your child. Ask lots of questions as you go.
Be the one to jump up and help when your child has a need. Those are great opportunities because mom sure needs a break!
Fish. Camp. Build something together. Go to a sporting event together. Do something for someone together (be a servant).
Turn off the technology so you can listen, understand, guide, and be active with your children.
Put a puzzle together.
Ask your child sometime, “What would you like to do together?”
Go eat lunch with your child at school before middle and high school. Then during the middle and high school years, take them out to eat somewhere, just you and them.
Pull “tricks” on your child sometime to let them know you have a sense of humor. Make it respectful and not totally embarrassing.
Find out what skill your child is best at and help him/her do better at it.
Do something special for certain birthday milestones (e.g., 6, 10, 13, 16, 18).
Be involved in your child’s education. Help with homework. Attend your child’s activities (e.g., sports events, recitals, achievement ceremonies, etc.).
Volunteer for a day or half day at your child’s school.
Listen to music your child enjoys. Pay attention to what he or she is hearing.
Be connected with someone you trust to help you with raising your child who is a good role model. Compare what they see in your child to what you see in your child. Are they maturing in Christ or are they in trouble.
Talk to you children about what they want to be they grow up and take them where they can learn about that particular job. Take them to work with you some day.
Have your children’s friends in your house as much as possible. Be a man of hospitality to know your child’s friends.
Teach your child about safety at home, in the car, visiting family or friends, at the store, or in the woods.
Hug your children when they are small so you can hug them later.
Be there. Listen. Learn. Love. Laugh. Look at them eye to eye.
The greatest thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

A Husband with His Wife about Children…

Talk with your wife about your thoughts, feelings, goals, and commitments you had before your child was born. Are they the same? Different? Are you making any changes?
Talk with your wife about your hopes and dreams of being the kind of father you want to be to your children. What does she see you can continue, improve on, or add to your attitudes and behaviors as a father.
Talk together with a couple you admire for some parenting advice for raising children at your children’s current age (e.g., 1-2 years, preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, college).
Talk with your spouse about how your parents and her parents will affect your child’s future. Discuss what memories you would want your child to have with their grandparents.
Discuss with your wife about how your “raising” has had or will have an impact on the training of your own children.
Discuss with your wife about the times you enjoy most with your child. Note the parts of your relationship you think you are doing right.