Dads, please let me encourage you to change some things in your life. A recent University study found that the average father in America spends less than sixty seconds per day in conversations with his children!
The actual number was 47 seconds per day.
How in the world does that happen? Certainly we fathers love our children and want the best for them. So what does this study tell us about the focus of our investment in the lives of our children? Are we too focused on our work? Are we too focused on our paychecks?
What's with us men? Have we as fathers come to think that our kids really just need our money? I sure hope not.
Our children need us to look them in the eyes and talk with them. We need to actually be involved in the lives of our children and teens. We need to actively raise them, teach them, and shape their character and morals and values. We need to do these things on purpose, with a plan, with a focus. Parenting is a "hands on" activity.
So, spend time with your kids. Be available for your kids. Make your kids a major priority in your life. Protect your family. Be involved in your family.
Look at your personal definition of "success." My definition has become, "The progressive realization of moral, virtuous, or Godly goals."
Obviously this definition has little to do with how much money I earn, or how much status I attain in my profession. It has little to do with my children becoming sports stars or validictorians (although they are both). Success has to do with character, relationships, and spiritual growth.
So fathers, please take the time to teach your children. Be role models for your teens. And spend more than 47 seconds each day in conversation with your children.
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.
best cleaning company Highland Park ..Learning responsibility is an ever widening and lifelong process.As thinking,... Read More
She slipped her small, soft eight-year-old hand into mine. Her... Read More
Be aware. You may become totally overwhelmed when you get... Read More
As a mother of two sets of fraternal boy/girl twins,... Read More
Young people generally want to fit in to their various... Read More
Just two days ago, another 15-year old child was added... Read More
Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read... Read More
AD/HD (attention deficit disorder) is one of the most common... Read More
Why Me?"We should certainly count our blessings, but we should... Read More
I hear from many parents that their child is stressed... Read More
Have you ever experienced one of those days when you... Read More
"It takes a village to raise a child" is more... Read More
Some children practically potty train themselves, while others struggle and... Read More
Children think money grows on trees. Maybe not literally, but... Read More
Have you ever wondered why toys for babies tend to... Read More
A great many parents are concerned that the electronic games... Read More
As a parent there are lots of things that you... Read More
The disquieting behavior of teenagers in the 21st century, is... Read More
Bullies are an ugly but very real part of childhood.... Read More
Let's be honest! When it comes to parenting, men expect... Read More
It may seem obvious to many people why literacy is... Read More
Finding answers to a child's underachievement is often a difficult... Read More
To protect children's self-esteem or deflect complaints by parents, many... Read More
Who Can Register A Birth? The child's mother... Read More
Did you know that over 75% of teens aged 16-17... Read More
high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..When it's time to put your child into a daycare... Read More
While youth gangs are nothing new -- they've been traced... Read More
When you hear the phrase, 'guerrilla parenting techniques', what images... Read More
Sitting by her Pinocchio lamp, she smiled at me as... Read More
Any parent whose baby has suffered from colic can tell... Read More
Q. How do we decide what our teens should be... Read More
"Will my doubts and fears affect my child?" This father... Read More
Whether we realize it or not we teach our children... Read More
My kids ask me all the time to take them... Read More
As a step daughter and step grand daughter, I followed... Read More
The children of Baby Boomers, the Echo Generation, are entering... Read More
In today's mental health system there is a pattern of... Read More
Are you a parent concerned about passing values on to... Read More
Studies have shown that:1 out of 4 children were sent... Read More
Do you live with an ADD / ADHD child? If... Read More
Here are some tips that I have picked up from... Read More
1. You reheated the same cup of coffee three times... Read More
When you think about it, probably the one thing that... Read More
While on a recent trip to the grocery store, I... Read More
Learning obedience is an important part of child development. This... Read More
According to researchers, most children enter school with a good... Read More
If you're looking for toys that are both fun to... Read More
Giving with a happy heart. If you teach a child... Read More
This year alone, 1,600 teenagers aged 15 to 19 will... Read More
Did you know there's a game children and parents play... Read More
Parenting |