Friday’s List To Live By #84

Tuesday’s post addressed the importance of Dads in the home. As a follow-up, today’s list offers some specific suggestions for Dads.

21 Tips For Being a Great Dad

♦Make God’s Word the basis of your home and the values around which you live each day.

♦Tell your children you love them every day.

♦Regularly carve out special time alone with each child.

♦Build their self-worth through acceptance of who they are and not what they do or how they perform.

♦Express appreciation for their efforts. Practice the 101 ways to praise a child.

♦Work to catch your kids doing something right, instead of trying to catch them doing something wrong.

♦Give your kids chores to do. Teach them the value of work.

♦Physically show affection through hugs and kisses.

♦Exercise discipline out of your love and relationship with your child. Remember that rules without a relationship leads to rebellion.

♦Make your home a fun place to be.

♦Monitor their use of technology. Limit their screen time.

♦Read to your child.

♦Provide security by letting them see how much you love and respect their mother.

♦While scheduled quality time together is important, be prepared to sacrifice your convenience for unscheduled time when your child wants to talk.

♦Sit down around the table and eat together as a family.

♦Discipline with dignity and self-control. Not out of anger.

♦Realize that it’s not unmanly to express qualities of tenderness, empathy, and gentleness in your family relationships.

♦Be consistent as much as possible in your expectations. But also remember it’s better to be right than be consistent.

♦Role-model and teach your children how to deal with adversity and failure.

♦Ask your children’s forgiveness when you make a mistake.

♦Pray together every day.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman