Fathers Are Important

Hey dad, got a minute?  You have a hard job: fatherhood.  It’s one of the most important jobs you’ll ever have and one that is much harder than expected.  The time you spend with your children will pay off immeasurable future dividends. I have children and I’ve loved being a dad since the day my first child was born.  I’ve done my best to be intentional in spending time with my children.   Regardless of where you are in your fatherhood journey, it’s not too late to start or even increase time spent with your child.

One way to spend time with your child is bike riding.  Unplug from technology and rent a bike at Riverbend Park and ride the trails.  Alternatively, the Palm Beach Bike Shop rents bikes to ride the Palm Beach trail.  Second, buy a tent and camp out at Johnathan Dickinson State Park. If you’re not into tent camping, head to the Okeechobee KOA and rent a camping cabin.  Third, consider a father-son or father-daughter weekend experience.  I did this through Christ in the Rockies and it was the best thing I did to galvanize my relationship with my son.

Moms usually bring their child to work with me so I don’t get to meet dads until we do a review meeting. When I work with kids I say, I didn’t meet your dad so tell me about him.”  The child’s response tells me how involved a dad is. Some kids discuss the activities they do together whereas other kids say, “He works a lot.”  I follow up and ask, “What do you and your dad do together?”  It’s unfortunate but some kids, who live in the same house with their dad, come up empty.

I encourage you to fill up your child with experiences and emotional encouragement.  Fatherhood is tough and it’s hard to go alone.   A great resource is Tony Dungy’s website: AllProDad.com.