Here’s a post you guys are going to want to bookmark. Whether your about to have your first or getting ready to send your last of to college, there’s so much wisdom here that I believe you’ll find something worthy of considering no matter where you are in your fatherhood journey. Here are the secrets to being a great dad, from the great dads of our Facebook community.

Keith Smoke: The first rule of the dad club. You don’t talk about the dad club.

Mir Farooq Ali:
1. Be patient
2. Let your inner child loose
3. Be prepared to make tough decisions
4. Be forgiving
5. Accept your mistakes
And that’s just top 5!

Michael Orr: I think the best thing you can do as a dad is learn to accept you aren’t a great dad. You aren’t perfect. You are going to fail. You are going to over react. You are going to do.

Gabriel Moreno: Spend less money on and more time with your kids. They do not need hundreds of toys and games – they need dads who fill their imagination, teach them the world, and love them unconditionally.

Jamie Lynn Zozuk: Do not dismiss that which doesn’t interest you. You will need to hear and do things with your little ones that you do not enjoy yourself, but makes them happy. Never stop doing this. When you show interest in them, they will in turn trust you.

Rich Porter: Love man, Love. No matter what, I never doubted my Fathers love for me. Whether he was spanking me, yelling at me, praising me, or just nodding his head and smiling at me, I knew it was all love.

Mike Clarke: Make the most of it because it all goes too fast. Have rules with consequences. Let them know you love them. Listen really well. Be a dad not a friend. Be honest.

Joseph Samuel: Be there and be kind. That is 99% of it. My 4 year old asked me if I would be at his parade last week and I said yes. He responded excitedly, “You’re always there Daddy.” That’s everything I need to know.

Chris Coates: Respect your kids enough to know when to be a child yourself but when to draw the line.

James Simón:
1.) Your little ones are not your employees. Get your own drink!
2.) They don’t have to fear you to respect you.
3.) You’re no longer #1.

Wesley Smith: Remember what its like to be a kid. Also…Empathy!!!

Man, the world could use a lot more empathy! Good call, Wesley. What’s your secret to being a great dad? Share it with us on Facebook.

*Flickr photo by yancy9, used under Creative Commons license.