Do you ever feel that the way media portrays fatherhood is not the most respectful? This needs to stop, for what we see in the media definitely carries over into our lives.
The truth is that fatherhood is an honorable role and it takes a truly strong man to fulfill it.
During the baby years, fatherhood requires a man who can function on 1-2 hours of sleep. It takes a guy who can handle large quantities of poo and spit-up AND deal with a hormonal new mommy at the same time. These years are not for the faint of heart.
The toddler years require a man who has stamina and can chase after small, newly mobile children. They must also be able to bandage owies and hear “NO!” repeated countless times a day without going crazy. Further, fathers of daughters must be man enough to attend tea parties while wearing tiaras!
The grade school years require a dad who is able to understand grade school math. Very often, these dads will also need to be able to construct a solar system out of household items … at bedtime … the night before the science fair! Kudos to those dads who also manage to coach and/or teach woodworking skills during this phase.
And, then comes the teen years. This is perhaps the scariest phase of all. Dads of teens must have very thick skin for they will be loved one minute and hated the next. They will often have to swallow their pride as their kids pass them in height (while maintaining respect!). They must teach their child to drive and once again, lose sleep while waiting for their teens to come home safely.
The hard part about parenting adult “children” is allowing them to make their own mistakes and being tough enough to watch them learn from those mistakes (without bailing them out). This sounds easy, but it can be a tremendously painful experience for all involved.
And, finally … dad becomes a granddad. This phase is God’s reward for making it through all the other phases! Really, all these dads have to be able to do is laugh loudly while chanting, “It’s payback time!”
So, you see, fatherhood isn’t for wimps. Thank you dads!
Fathers and daughters will value their special relationship even more when they attend this once in a lifetime event! Tween and teen girls want to be loved, protected and treasured for the unique person they are. Dads, this is the event to help send that message and to give you an opportunity to be encouraged. Join us at the Father/Daughter Gala coming March 7th, 2019. Full details.
