Until Cyndi Lauper gets around to recording the dad version of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, we’re here to assume that dads just wanna get better at fatherhood. Here’s what we want to improve.
Posted by Life of Dad on Thursday, September 21, 2017
Jakeand Britni Dilling: Trying to remember that everything they do isn’t to get at me. It’s them trying things for themselves. I remember being their age and I want to be better at recognizing that [they are learning still].
James Dyche: To worries less about the unknown and to better cope with my newly found anxiety so I can make the most of my time with family and other aspects of my life.
Darrell Risk: Remembering their names, I got four kids who’s names all begin with D. I’ll call for Darrell and then when Darrell comes, i’m like what do you want i called for Dexter.
On a sidenote naming your son with the same name as you sounds cool at first but it’s really confusing trying to work out which one is in trouble with the wife!
Shawn Long: Keeping my cool, my son is a kinetic force of nature. He runs full throttle all the time. And when he is in this mode he doesn’t hear a friggin’ thing. He’s almost five but sometimes I envy the parents with chill kids. Mine are so not chill.
Lee Risley Jr.: Understanding how to raise my daughter in this day and age.
Justin Delaney: Not get so frustrated. For the most part my kids are really good. But there are those times I need them to not act up. Listen and do what I say. Get their shoes on, and out the door. Etc. I try to come across as calm as I can. I’ve done the calm voice. The stern one. The pleading one. But underneath I’m a raging inferno. But flipping out won’t help. And I won’t spank my kids out of fear I’d get over zealous.
Andy Merwin: I want to be an Active listener. I tend to zone out without meaning to if the topic doesn’t interest me.
Corey Eckenroth: Not being so hard on my kids. They’re just kids, and they have time to enjoy their childhood before the weight of this life bears down and the reality of grown up life begins.
Jason Picton: Adaptive thinking.
How I interact with my oldest doesn’t always work with my youngest. They are different. Plus, how and what I was taught doesn’t always work well for both. Case in point: I struggled with my oldest on learning how to tie his shoes. I used the “bunny ears” method since I was a kid. My oldest just didn’t get it despite lots of practice. So thanks to the interwebz I found another method ie two knots. To me it’s not as fast or efficient. However, my oldest picked that method up in 5 mins and i haven’t had to tie his shoes since. So while stuff is trial and error as a parent, I have to adapt to what works for them individually as well.
Jackie Drennen-Sulcer: Be a better person than you were before you had kids. (Be your best)
Daniel Rainville: Talking my daughter down without getting angry myself.
Javier Solis: Teaching my kids things, this is literally a second job. I have a very active son who learns very quickly, sometimes I think I don’t take advantage of that bc of work and life balance. But I wish I had more time and strength to reach him more things to widen his mind, the other day he asked me to play chess with him for the first time and I half assed it bc I don’t know where to start to teach him. Granted I’ve taught him how to play soccer and how to fish, which he does well in, but I feel other things I don’t take the time and patience to do so.
William Thomas Haire: Devoting my entire life to an individual who doesn’t understand what a huge self sacrifice I’m making, and being content knowing the interest from my investment will go into a better adulthood than I had.
Flickr photo by Eric Ward.