It’s easy for dads to underestimate how important their affection and touch are to their kids. Most moms are naturally open and affectionate, but we dads have to be a bit more purposeful about it.
We recently had a family over to visit. The young teen daughter sat beside her dad on the couch and leaned into him. As I observed her behavior, I longed for him to reciprocate by putting his arm around her and pulling her close. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. But, to his defense, none of us pick up on every signal.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I believe there are four things every child longs to hear from their father:
- “I love you!”
- “I’m proud of you!”
- “You did a good job!” and
- “You can be anything you want to be!”
I sometimes said all of these things to my kids in fairly quick succession! I wanted to be sure that they heard me say these things and knew I was 100% behind them!
I still hug my kids when I see them! I always kissed my boys on the cheek as a sign of my love! I didn’t want them to ever doubt how much I loved them and how proud of them I was.
Yep! I’ve been pleased to see dads playing frisbee with their kids while here. I’ve seen families sitting together in the dining hall - even when there were lots of other kids their children could have been sitting with.
Yesterday, there were quite a few fathers who entered the ‘Tip-it’ competition with their kids! Actually, I was on a team with Troy, Rylie and Coltin. We had a 57 year age span between me and Coltin! We had a great time and made it to the finals. And I’m sure if Jon has been here, he’d have played too! We’re making memories here - precious ones!
I’m proud of the dads here at camp! They’ve taken the time to be here for this week, and they’ve prioritized time with their kids! Bravo! Keep up the good work, dads! I’m cheering for you and praying for you! You have an awesome opportunity - capitalize on it! :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment