By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Steven_E_Templin,_II]Steven E Templin, II
"You're going to be a father!" Hearing those words should be the most memorable and happiest moment of a man's life. He should be overwhelmed with so many emotions running through his mind that he just wants to jump and scream for joy at top of his lungs. When I first heard those words it was the most memorable moment of my life, but it was not the happiest time of my life. Words could not express the feelings and the amount of fear I experienced. I had never been so afraid. I pictured my life being a little different, and in a better situation when I became a father. I thought I would be a college graduate, married, with a well paying job, and that the pregnancy would be planned. For me, things did not go as I thought.
On Monday November 16, 2009, my life changed completely. That was the day I found out that I was going to be a father. At the time I was a 20-year-old college student with no idea that I would become a father so young.
In my hometown, Knoxville, TN, it's common to see young parents. A lot of my friends became parents in high school, and some even in middle school. I see how they struggle, and all the difficulties they go through as parents such as stressing over money, having low paying jobs, barely being able to provide for their children, and I knew I didn't want that to be my life. I didn't want to become another statistic or fall into that same category.
A lot of people looked at me differently than my peers and had so many great expectations for me, not only because I was in college, but because I was always involved in something positive and stayed out of the streets. I knew for sure that having a baby before marriage did not fall into those expectations, so when I learned about the pregnancy, I instantly thought that my life was over. I thought it would change my life for the negative. "No more college, no more hanging out with my friends," those were the thoughts that constantly ran through my mind, so the first solution to come to my mind and out of my mouth was an "abortion."
At that time I felt like that was the best thing for me and the mother. We weren't ready for a baby. We were young, immature, and just not ready to be parents.
Then, I remembered the fact that I was not a planned baby either. My parents were a lot older than I was, and were in a much better situation than the mother of my child and I. If my parents had chosen to get an abortion, then I wouldn't be here today. As I began to think more about it I knew that getting an abortion was something I couldn't do. If we had chosen abortion, I knew I couldn't live with myself afterward. I couldn't live with the guilt of killing my child, or with the thought of letting more people down.
I still had to be the man I knew I was regardless of my situation. I believe a real man does not run from his problems, he faces them no matter what the situation. Abortion was then out of the question, and I regret even thinking about it.
I determined I would be the best father I could be, and not just be the type of father that thinks being a dad is sending money every month. I wanted to actually be there for my child, just like my father was there for me.
I feel that having a father in the home is better for a child, and leads to a better lifestyle than those who aren't blessed to have their father in the household. A lot of my childhood friends didn't grow up with their fathers in their home and I see how we are different from each other. Some of them aren't even in school, or are in jail and others are even dead. Some became fathers before me and aren't there for their children just as their fathers weren't there for them.
Cynthia Harper of the University of Pennsylvania and Sara S. McLanahan of Princeton University say, "Young men who grow up in homes without fathers are twice as likely to end up in jail as those who come from traditional two-parent families... those boys whose fathers were absent from the household had double the odds of being incarcerated -- even when other factors such as race, income, parent education and urban residence were held constant." Good fathers make good sons.
My son, Tylen Eric Templin, was born on July 15, 2010. Honestly it was the best day of my life! I thank God everyday for not letting us get that abortion. Tylen is the best thing that has happened to me. I can't even explain the joy I feel every time I look at him. Once I laid eyes on my son it definitely did something to me and affected me in a positive way. It's like nothing else in the world matters except my child. It was then when I truly understood the love that parents have for their children, that unconditional love that words just can't express, only actions.
If I could send one message to men who are either fathers or becoming fathers, it would be this--- be in your child's life. Don't just think being a father is sending that check every month. Be there, and actually spend time with your child. In the world today, children definitely need their fathers in their lives to give them the best chance for love and success, because when the fathers aren't there it affects them in a negative way and they miss out on that fatherly love. "Any man can be a dad, but it takes a special person to be a father." I have pledged my life that I'm going to be that special person, a father.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Love-Of-A-Father&id=6363369] The Love Of A Father
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Life and Soul: Relationship of a Father and Child
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ashley_Ayling]Ashley Ayling
Parents are one of the most important role models in a child's life. They are the ones who shape to their children's lives, character and future. One such dominant role is played by our fathers. Father's day is celebrated in honour of our fathers or father figures and as a show of love, respect and celebration to the importance of a father child relationship. It is this day when children get an opportunity to show their love, respect, affection for their fathers. This day is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in different parts of the world. Though this trend is mostly followed in western countries it is slowly arriving in Asian countries too where mother's day has also become popular. Father's day celebrations began in the earliest 20th century to celebrate paternal bonding and fatherhood. The first observance of father's day was in Fairmont, West Virginia on 5th June 1908 which was initiated by Mrs Grace Golden Clayton. She wanted to honour the lives of those fathers who were lost in Monongah Mining disaster. It was quite possible that she was influenced by the celebration of mother's day which was done in the same year a few miles away. It was since then that Fairmont was promoted as the "Home of First Father's Day Service". After this Father's day celebrations gained momentum and moved to other countries.
It is celebrated in different dates in different countries worldwide but most commonly on the third Sunday of June. However in many countries like Russia, Portugal, Denmark and certain Asian countries it is celebrated at another time.. Father's day is marked in many ways for instance a family meal, cards and presents family oriented activities, cooking their favourite food, playing their favourite movies or music. In other words it involves making that day special for their loving fathers.
Father's day is not only made special by the children for their fathers but also by the fathers for their children. They can do so by making new resolutions, promises for their betterment as well as betterment of their family. Another perspective of father's day is celebrating being a father and enjoying this day for the very first time where you are not only giving to your own father but are receiving a gift for being a father. The excitement that a father gets celebrating his first father's day is incomparable with any happiness in the world. On one had he has a joy of becoming a father and on the other hand new responsibilities of determining his child's future.
Father's day is celebrated to thank fathers for their unconditional contribution that they have made for their children to make their life rosy and pleasant. It is tribute paid by the children to their fathers on this wonderful day and making it memorable. It is to make them realise how special they are and how grateful their children are for having them in their lives.
Ashley Ayling represents the company [http://www.childrensgiftideas.com/shop/gift-hampers-for-children/]Children's Gifts Ideas - Specialises in creative play and traditional travel gifts and games. Childern's gift ideas can be the right place for you if you want to buy some [http://www.childrensgiftideas.com/]inspiring toys for kids or Children Gift Hampers.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Life-and-Soul:-Relationship-of-a-Father-and-Child&id=6362946] Life and Soul: Relationship of a Father and Child
Parents are one of the most important role models in a child's life. They are the ones who shape to their children's lives, character and future. One such dominant role is played by our fathers. Father's day is celebrated in honour of our fathers or father figures and as a show of love, respect and celebration to the importance of a father child relationship. It is this day when children get an opportunity to show their love, respect, affection for their fathers. This day is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in different parts of the world. Though this trend is mostly followed in western countries it is slowly arriving in Asian countries too where mother's day has also become popular. Father's day celebrations began in the earliest 20th century to celebrate paternal bonding and fatherhood. The first observance of father's day was in Fairmont, West Virginia on 5th June 1908 which was initiated by Mrs Grace Golden Clayton. She wanted to honour the lives of those fathers who were lost in Monongah Mining disaster. It was quite possible that she was influenced by the celebration of mother's day which was done in the same year a few miles away. It was since then that Fairmont was promoted as the "Home of First Father's Day Service". After this Father's day celebrations gained momentum and moved to other countries.
It is celebrated in different dates in different countries worldwide but most commonly on the third Sunday of June. However in many countries like Russia, Portugal, Denmark and certain Asian countries it is celebrated at another time.. Father's day is marked in many ways for instance a family meal, cards and presents family oriented activities, cooking their favourite food, playing their favourite movies or music. In other words it involves making that day special for their loving fathers.
Father's day is not only made special by the children for their fathers but also by the fathers for their children. They can do so by making new resolutions, promises for their betterment as well as betterment of their family. Another perspective of father's day is celebrating being a father and enjoying this day for the very first time where you are not only giving to your own father but are receiving a gift for being a father. The excitement that a father gets celebrating his first father's day is incomparable with any happiness in the world. On one had he has a joy of becoming a father and on the other hand new responsibilities of determining his child's future.
Father's day is celebrated to thank fathers for their unconditional contribution that they have made for their children to make their life rosy and pleasant. It is tribute paid by the children to their fathers on this wonderful day and making it memorable. It is to make them realise how special they are and how grateful their children are for having them in their lives.
Ashley Ayling represents the company [http://www.childrensgiftideas.com/shop/gift-hampers-for-children/]Children's Gifts Ideas - Specialises in creative play and traditional travel gifts and games. Childern's gift ideas can be the right place for you if you want to buy some [http://www.childrensgiftideas.com/]inspiring toys for kids or Children Gift Hampers.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Life-and-Soul:-Relationship-of-a-Father-and-Child&id=6362946] Life and Soul: Relationship of a Father and Child
Monday, December 26, 2011
10 Things Fathers Shouldn't Do
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Riza_Gumihid]Riza Gumihid
Fathers, do not make your children angry, but raise them with the training and teaching of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
It is interesting to note that if there is a command for children to obey their parents and to honor them, there is also a command for parents, especially for fathers to not exasperate their children.
In the first century, when this passage was written, families were presided over by fathers who could do whatever they pleased in their homes. Rome had a law called patria potestas, which meant "the father's power". The children and the wife were regarded as the man's property, and he could do whatever he wished to do with them. When a child was born, the baby was placed between the father's feet. If the father picked up the baby, the child stayed in the home. If he turned and walked away, the child was either left to die or sold at auction.
It is in this context that Paul wrote, fathers do not exasperate your children, instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Maybe it's good to ask, in what way do fathers make their children angry? What are some of the things that fathers do to provoke their children to wrath.
Here are some lists in no particular order:
1. Excessive Drinking.
2. Physically abusing their mothers. It is so infuriating for children to see a father who physically abuses their mother. It is said that the best way to earn your child's love and respect is for fathers to love their children's mother. To do otherwise invites conflict and disrespect.
3. Favoritism. Isaac favored Esau over Jacob, and Rebecca preferred Jacob over Esau. This caused the two brothers to be bitter, with Esau wanting to kill Jacob. Later, Joseph became Jacob's favorite. Joseph's brother planned to kill him, and later sold him into slavery because they are jealous that Jacob loved Joseph more.
4. Excessive controlling and over-protectiveness. There are times when fathers are too controlling and they want to decide every aspect of their children's life. However, fathers should teach their kids to stand on their own, to take risks, to decide on their own, and to even allow room for children to make mistakes and learn from them.
5. Laziness & irresponsibility. Some men just don't do anything to help around the house. All they want is to be served, and to b e entertained. Some have even turned the responsibility of providing for their family over to their wives.
6. Bad Temper. Bad temper ruins relationship. It makes a man do something that many times he regrets doing, but sad to say the damage is already done.
7. Verbal, physical, & emotional abuse. Many children are verbally, physically, & emotionally assaulted by their fathers leaving wounds and damage that sometimes last a lifetime.
8. Excessive discipline. Yes, fathers should discipline their children. But it should be out of love, and out of desire to to make their children better, not out of anger, impatience or self-centeredness.
9. Neglect. I read about Roland Warren who said, "My father died about three years ago and I had a difficult time at his funeral. You see, although my father and I had a good relationship at the time of his death, the painful fact is that for much of my life, he was absent.
10. Pressure his children. There are fathers who have unreasonable expectations, and they pressure their children to perform beyond their ability and capacity. I read about a child who cried when she got 95 out of 100 in an exam. When the teacher asked why, she said, "Because my father will spank me for every point away from 100."
Fathers, remember that God commanded your children to obey you and honor you. When you provoke them to anger, you make it difficult for your to obey the fifth commandment and you are causing them to sin. And so the Lord is telling you, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children."
Family Matters (Quality Life Through Simple Living) http://primrizonline.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Things-Fathers-Shouldnt-Do&id=6373824] 10 Things Fathers Shouldn't Do
Fathers, do not make your children angry, but raise them with the training and teaching of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
It is interesting to note that if there is a command for children to obey their parents and to honor them, there is also a command for parents, especially for fathers to not exasperate their children.
In the first century, when this passage was written, families were presided over by fathers who could do whatever they pleased in their homes. Rome had a law called patria potestas, which meant "the father's power". The children and the wife were regarded as the man's property, and he could do whatever he wished to do with them. When a child was born, the baby was placed between the father's feet. If the father picked up the baby, the child stayed in the home. If he turned and walked away, the child was either left to die or sold at auction.
It is in this context that Paul wrote, fathers do not exasperate your children, instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Maybe it's good to ask, in what way do fathers make their children angry? What are some of the things that fathers do to provoke their children to wrath.
Here are some lists in no particular order:
1. Excessive Drinking.
2. Physically abusing their mothers. It is so infuriating for children to see a father who physically abuses their mother. It is said that the best way to earn your child's love and respect is for fathers to love their children's mother. To do otherwise invites conflict and disrespect.
3. Favoritism. Isaac favored Esau over Jacob, and Rebecca preferred Jacob over Esau. This caused the two brothers to be bitter, with Esau wanting to kill Jacob. Later, Joseph became Jacob's favorite. Joseph's brother planned to kill him, and later sold him into slavery because they are jealous that Jacob loved Joseph more.
4. Excessive controlling and over-protectiveness. There are times when fathers are too controlling and they want to decide every aspect of their children's life. However, fathers should teach their kids to stand on their own, to take risks, to decide on their own, and to even allow room for children to make mistakes and learn from them.
5. Laziness & irresponsibility. Some men just don't do anything to help around the house. All they want is to be served, and to b e entertained. Some have even turned the responsibility of providing for their family over to their wives.
6. Bad Temper. Bad temper ruins relationship. It makes a man do something that many times he regrets doing, but sad to say the damage is already done.
7. Verbal, physical, & emotional abuse. Many children are verbally, physically, & emotionally assaulted by their fathers leaving wounds and damage that sometimes last a lifetime.
8. Excessive discipline. Yes, fathers should discipline their children. But it should be out of love, and out of desire to to make their children better, not out of anger, impatience or self-centeredness.
9. Neglect. I read about Roland Warren who said, "My father died about three years ago and I had a difficult time at his funeral. You see, although my father and I had a good relationship at the time of his death, the painful fact is that for much of my life, he was absent.
10. Pressure his children. There are fathers who have unreasonable expectations, and they pressure their children to perform beyond their ability and capacity. I read about a child who cried when she got 95 out of 100 in an exam. When the teacher asked why, she said, "Because my father will spank me for every point away from 100."
Fathers, remember that God commanded your children to obey you and honor you. When you provoke them to anger, you make it difficult for your to obey the fifth commandment and you are causing them to sin. And so the Lord is telling you, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children."
Family Matters (Quality Life Through Simple Living) http://primrizonline.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Things-Fathers-Shouldnt-Do&id=6373824] 10 Things Fathers Shouldn't Do
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Young Guys Living With Their Parents Don't Become Men
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ken_Solin]Ken Solin
While a lot of Boomer men seem stuck in their time warps, many younger guys appear to be in a different but equally dysfunctional warp, the parental warp. The fathers of sons now in their twenties and thirties, raised them with little or no information about their own manhood. The results were predictable.
Character is only built through facing up to hardships and challenges. No man ever developed character simply because he was born into money or because he never left home. The young men who move back into their parents' homes for financial or other reasons aren't facing their challenges, and are likely to become men with little noticeable character. That's unfortunate and unnecessary.
Too many young men are clueless about women or how to be in successful relationships. They know how to hook-up, but that doesn't mean they know what an actual relationship looks like. Being sexual isn't much of a struggle for young guys, but adding an emotional component to make it into a relationship remains a mystery. Living at home doesn't allow for much social development.
It might have helped if fathers had been teaching their sons what acting like a man actually looks like, but since most fathers were never taught either, their sons grew up as devoid of a notion of manhood as they did.
Each time a father shares with me that he's allowed his son to move back into his home, I shudder to think how that young man's development has been arrested. He's moving backward. He's like a man who's wearing an emotional diaper.
It seems like it's all falling apart for young guys who have been waiting in vain for useful lessons from their dysfunctional fathers. Rather than teaching their sons how to fend for themselves, fathers move them back into their boyhood bedrooms. What type of man is this likely to produce? He will have a boy's emotional range and a man's body. It sounds like a horror movie.
This purported act of kindness is in fact incredibly unkind. Fathers inflict their own fears onto their sons by coddling them instead of nurturing them. The difference is that men who are coddled never grow into functioning men, while men who are nurtured are prepared to fend for themselves.
Fathers, who contend that they could never put their sons out on the street because they can't find jobs or affordable housing, aren't looking forward or acting like caring fathers. They aren't considering the damage they're doing to their sons. What's worse, a young man who has to flip burgers for a while and share an apartment with six other young guys, or a young man who spends his days and nights in his boyhood bedroom pretending to be a man?
For twenty years, author and lecturer Ken Solin has helped men move beyond the issues that limit their lives. Both men and women follow Ken since his work is primarily about relationships.
Ken's website, http://www.kensolin.com/ is filled blogs about real life problems.
There's a frank, gritty, 42 minute television pilot about men that will surprise men and women alike.
There's also book excerpts from Ken's new, soon to be published book, Eight Angry Men.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Young-Guys-Living-With-Their-Parents-Dont-Become-Men&id=6383999] Young Guys Living With Their Parents Don't Become Men
While a lot of Boomer men seem stuck in their time warps, many younger guys appear to be in a different but equally dysfunctional warp, the parental warp. The fathers of sons now in their twenties and thirties, raised them with little or no information about their own manhood. The results were predictable.
Character is only built through facing up to hardships and challenges. No man ever developed character simply because he was born into money or because he never left home. The young men who move back into their parents' homes for financial or other reasons aren't facing their challenges, and are likely to become men with little noticeable character. That's unfortunate and unnecessary.
Too many young men are clueless about women or how to be in successful relationships. They know how to hook-up, but that doesn't mean they know what an actual relationship looks like. Being sexual isn't much of a struggle for young guys, but adding an emotional component to make it into a relationship remains a mystery. Living at home doesn't allow for much social development.
It might have helped if fathers had been teaching their sons what acting like a man actually looks like, but since most fathers were never taught either, their sons grew up as devoid of a notion of manhood as they did.
Each time a father shares with me that he's allowed his son to move back into his home, I shudder to think how that young man's development has been arrested. He's moving backward. He's like a man who's wearing an emotional diaper.
It seems like it's all falling apart for young guys who have been waiting in vain for useful lessons from their dysfunctional fathers. Rather than teaching their sons how to fend for themselves, fathers move them back into their boyhood bedrooms. What type of man is this likely to produce? He will have a boy's emotional range and a man's body. It sounds like a horror movie.
This purported act of kindness is in fact incredibly unkind. Fathers inflict their own fears onto their sons by coddling them instead of nurturing them. The difference is that men who are coddled never grow into functioning men, while men who are nurtured are prepared to fend for themselves.
Fathers, who contend that they could never put their sons out on the street because they can't find jobs or affordable housing, aren't looking forward or acting like caring fathers. They aren't considering the damage they're doing to their sons. What's worse, a young man who has to flip burgers for a while and share an apartment with six other young guys, or a young man who spends his days and nights in his boyhood bedroom pretending to be a man?
For twenty years, author and lecturer Ken Solin has helped men move beyond the issues that limit their lives. Both men and women follow Ken since his work is primarily about relationships.
Ken's website, http://www.kensolin.com/ is filled blogs about real life problems.
There's a frank, gritty, 42 minute television pilot about men that will surprise men and women alike.
There's also book excerpts from Ken's new, soon to be published book, Eight Angry Men.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Young-Guys-Living-With-Their-Parents-Dont-Become-Men&id=6383999] Young Guys Living With Their Parents Don't Become Men
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Reward For Being A Good Father Is Bigger Than Money
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ken_Solin]Ken Solin
My life has been blessed in many ways, but my single greatest blessing was the opportunity to be a father. I raised my son as a single dad from the time he was a year old. There are lots of philosophies regarding what constitutes a good father, but my experience is that it's actually simple to define. Mostly, it was about personal sacrifice, and in addition to the sacrifice, I was willing to work hard to achieve my goal, which was to produce the best man possible.
Fathering a son well is an experience for which a man doesn't get a second chance. Forgetting for the moment, all the imaginable excuses for not getting this right, your responsibility to your son is entirely open-ended. Forget the fantasy that once your son goes off to college, you're finished. You're never finished, but the nature of your relationship with him evolves into a loving friendship. Nothing, including your career, takes precedence over being the best father possible. Your son's every need is yours to provide or not. Giving up a Saturday morning ball game with your friends, to spend that time with your son instead, is a sacrifice that your son will remember for the rest of his life. It creates the memories you and your son will always share.
Nothing I've ever accomplished in my life comes close to the joyous feeling I have in my heart about consistently doing the best I could for my son. There's a fallacy that suggests it's about the quality of time spent with a son that matters more than the quantity. My experience suggests it's both. Since I was a single dad, I was the only parent he could depend on. Fathers who co-parent should also consider sacrificing their own agendas in favor of their son's needs.
I coached his soccer and baseball teams, baked cookies for school events, drove on school outings, and hosted my share of sleep-overs. I carefully monitored his education and augmented it when necessary.
I set realistic boundaries for both of us around appropriate behavior. I showed respect for his personal preferences in music, hair styles, clothing, and friends. That didn't mean I rubber stamped everything he wanted to do, but rather that I took the time to understand what he wanted to do and tried to guide him in a positive direction. When I couldn't, and it was clear to me he was on a dangerous path, I was a good parent, which meant I was willing to be unpopular and make difficult decisions. He didn't need me to be his friend; he needed me to be his father.
I didn't try to make him into some version of me either. I allowed for our differences in opinions about politics, career goals, and anything else. When he graduated from high school and decided he wasn't ready to go to college, but wanted to join the Marines instead, we spent hours talking about his reasons for enlisting. I didn't try to talk him out of his choice, but wanted him to articulate his reasons for wanting to enlist. He needed my signature because he was only seventeen.
I sat down with his recruiting Sergeant and found out that the toughest school the Marines offered was computer repair for ground to air missiles. I signed on the condition that my son was given that specific training. Since it was primarily about computers, my son mustered out three years later with solid computer skills.
He enrolled in college full-time and received his B.S. in Economics. Since I had promised to pay his way before he was a Marine, I paid for college, but I also insisted he work part-time. He ended up working thirty hours a week and carrying a full load. The Marines taught him discipline. He took his first job after graduating, in Denver, an airplane flight away. I was heartbroken, but he reminded me that this was his life to live, not mine. I raised him to be independent, and he was.
My son and I have had a non-stop, loving relationship for his entire forty-four years. My grandson is seven, and I notice that my son is a better dad than I was. My relationship with my father had been violent and neglectful, and I was determined to be a better father and man. I couldn't be more proud of my son. I told him recently that he was the dad I wished I'd had.
All the sacrifices I made seem insignificant compared to the joy I've received. I wouldn't trade having been a dad for anything. If you're a new dad, put in the work and be able to say the same thing about your son when he's grown. No matter your career or other life experiences, nothing rivals the feeling of having a son who loves you and appreciates what you've done for him.
For twenty years, author and lecturer Ken Solin has helped men move beyond the issues that limit their lives. Both men and women follow Ken since his work is primarily about relationships.
Ken's website, http://www.kensolin.com/ is filled blogs about real life problems.
There's a frank, gritty, 42 minute television pilot about men that will surprise men and women alike.
There's also book excerpts from Ken's new, soon to be published book, Eight Angry Men.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Reward-For-Being-A-Good-Father-Is-Bigger-Than-Money&id=6387012] The Reward For Being A Good Father Is Bigger Than Money
My life has been blessed in many ways, but my single greatest blessing was the opportunity to be a father. I raised my son as a single dad from the time he was a year old. There are lots of philosophies regarding what constitutes a good father, but my experience is that it's actually simple to define. Mostly, it was about personal sacrifice, and in addition to the sacrifice, I was willing to work hard to achieve my goal, which was to produce the best man possible.
Fathering a son well is an experience for which a man doesn't get a second chance. Forgetting for the moment, all the imaginable excuses for not getting this right, your responsibility to your son is entirely open-ended. Forget the fantasy that once your son goes off to college, you're finished. You're never finished, but the nature of your relationship with him evolves into a loving friendship. Nothing, including your career, takes precedence over being the best father possible. Your son's every need is yours to provide or not. Giving up a Saturday morning ball game with your friends, to spend that time with your son instead, is a sacrifice that your son will remember for the rest of his life. It creates the memories you and your son will always share.
Nothing I've ever accomplished in my life comes close to the joyous feeling I have in my heart about consistently doing the best I could for my son. There's a fallacy that suggests it's about the quality of time spent with a son that matters more than the quantity. My experience suggests it's both. Since I was a single dad, I was the only parent he could depend on. Fathers who co-parent should also consider sacrificing their own agendas in favor of their son's needs.
I coached his soccer and baseball teams, baked cookies for school events, drove on school outings, and hosted my share of sleep-overs. I carefully monitored his education and augmented it when necessary.
I set realistic boundaries for both of us around appropriate behavior. I showed respect for his personal preferences in music, hair styles, clothing, and friends. That didn't mean I rubber stamped everything he wanted to do, but rather that I took the time to understand what he wanted to do and tried to guide him in a positive direction. When I couldn't, and it was clear to me he was on a dangerous path, I was a good parent, which meant I was willing to be unpopular and make difficult decisions. He didn't need me to be his friend; he needed me to be his father.
I didn't try to make him into some version of me either. I allowed for our differences in opinions about politics, career goals, and anything else. When he graduated from high school and decided he wasn't ready to go to college, but wanted to join the Marines instead, we spent hours talking about his reasons for enlisting. I didn't try to talk him out of his choice, but wanted him to articulate his reasons for wanting to enlist. He needed my signature because he was only seventeen.
I sat down with his recruiting Sergeant and found out that the toughest school the Marines offered was computer repair for ground to air missiles. I signed on the condition that my son was given that specific training. Since it was primarily about computers, my son mustered out three years later with solid computer skills.
He enrolled in college full-time and received his B.S. in Economics. Since I had promised to pay his way before he was a Marine, I paid for college, but I also insisted he work part-time. He ended up working thirty hours a week and carrying a full load. The Marines taught him discipline. He took his first job after graduating, in Denver, an airplane flight away. I was heartbroken, but he reminded me that this was his life to live, not mine. I raised him to be independent, and he was.
My son and I have had a non-stop, loving relationship for his entire forty-four years. My grandson is seven, and I notice that my son is a better dad than I was. My relationship with my father had been violent and neglectful, and I was determined to be a better father and man. I couldn't be more proud of my son. I told him recently that he was the dad I wished I'd had.
All the sacrifices I made seem insignificant compared to the joy I've received. I wouldn't trade having been a dad for anything. If you're a new dad, put in the work and be able to say the same thing about your son when he's grown. No matter your career or other life experiences, nothing rivals the feeling of having a son who loves you and appreciates what you've done for him.
For twenty years, author and lecturer Ken Solin has helped men move beyond the issues that limit their lives. Both men and women follow Ken since his work is primarily about relationships.
Ken's website, http://www.kensolin.com/ is filled blogs about real life problems.
There's a frank, gritty, 42 minute television pilot about men that will surprise men and women alike.
There's also book excerpts from Ken's new, soon to be published book, Eight Angry Men.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Reward-For-Being-A-Good-Father-Is-Bigger-Than-Money&id=6387012] The Reward For Being A Good Father Is Bigger Than Money
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Successful Single Father Parenting Tips
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Aladin_Lazaro_Legaspi]Aladin Lazaro Legaspi
Life is full of challenges, problems, and necessities. We have our own preferences on addressing the situations and occurrences of such life encounters. This life-long fact made life hard and difficult especially for single parents with responsibilities for both themselves and their dependent or dependents. Single father parenting is not exempted to this hardship of life. Many legal issues and instances portray the failure of fatherhood to support their child or children.
We should not criticize single fathers who failed to do their parenting responsibilities without first knowing the true story, but the situation can be a good source of facts and information to counteract such failure. There are some general tips that may come helpful to fathers subjected to this kind of experience and may increase their productivity, rest, and family bonding time.
The first tip is to have a proper budget management. Fathers tend to be sloppy in terms of family financial budgeting. Not because they lack the knowledge or experience in such matter but it is a fact that they are more emotional when it comes to the need of their love ones. Proper budgeting has been an effective way to satisfy needs even if the resources come short. This activity will prevent future financial problems and maintain a considerable means to surpass everyday living.
A fully managed time comes very reliable for single fathers. They should remember that their responsibility is both a mother and a father meaning they are solely responsible for the jobs of a two person. A more focus side to one of the responsibility will be a lesser reliability to the other. This requires well-distributed time for both aspect of single parenting. Not only will time management arranged time allocation for the children and works, it also gives father the little time they need for themselves.
The next tip will be to maintain a good health. The responsibility alone is hard enough so getting sick or ill should not add more stress and pressure along the way. Father's healthy condition gave them effectiveness to perform their obligations, duties, and responsibilities. Having the right attitude towards health will best accompany single fathers in their parenting.
The last tip is to seek for help of others. Sometimes a man's pride made them to take all responsibility regardless of what must be proper and right. In such situation, it is best to seek aid, guidance, and support of relatives and friends that may help in the process of single parenting.
Aladin Legaspi has been an online writer for 3 years. He has gained enough writing skills, knowledge, and experiences to professionally address writing needs and necessities. Those seeking assistance for online service can reach him at [mailto:aladinlegaspi@yahoo.com]aladinlegaspi@yahoo.com.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Successful-Single-Father-Parenting-Tips&id=6379439] Successful Single Father Parenting Tips
Life is full of challenges, problems, and necessities. We have our own preferences on addressing the situations and occurrences of such life encounters. This life-long fact made life hard and difficult especially for single parents with responsibilities for both themselves and their dependent or dependents. Single father parenting is not exempted to this hardship of life. Many legal issues and instances portray the failure of fatherhood to support their child or children.
We should not criticize single fathers who failed to do their parenting responsibilities without first knowing the true story, but the situation can be a good source of facts and information to counteract such failure. There are some general tips that may come helpful to fathers subjected to this kind of experience and may increase their productivity, rest, and family bonding time.
The first tip is to have a proper budget management. Fathers tend to be sloppy in terms of family financial budgeting. Not because they lack the knowledge or experience in such matter but it is a fact that they are more emotional when it comes to the need of their love ones. Proper budgeting has been an effective way to satisfy needs even if the resources come short. This activity will prevent future financial problems and maintain a considerable means to surpass everyday living.
A fully managed time comes very reliable for single fathers. They should remember that their responsibility is both a mother and a father meaning they are solely responsible for the jobs of a two person. A more focus side to one of the responsibility will be a lesser reliability to the other. This requires well-distributed time for both aspect of single parenting. Not only will time management arranged time allocation for the children and works, it also gives father the little time they need for themselves.
The next tip will be to maintain a good health. The responsibility alone is hard enough so getting sick or ill should not add more stress and pressure along the way. Father's healthy condition gave them effectiveness to perform their obligations, duties, and responsibilities. Having the right attitude towards health will best accompany single fathers in their parenting.
The last tip is to seek for help of others. Sometimes a man's pride made them to take all responsibility regardless of what must be proper and right. In such situation, it is best to seek aid, guidance, and support of relatives and friends that may help in the process of single parenting.
Aladin Legaspi has been an online writer for 3 years. He has gained enough writing skills, knowledge, and experiences to professionally address writing needs and necessities. Those seeking assistance for online service can reach him at [mailto:aladinlegaspi@yahoo.com]aladinlegaspi@yahoo.com.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Successful-Single-Father-Parenting-Tips&id=6379439] Successful Single Father Parenting Tips
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Father Vs Dad - What Is the Difference?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Malik_Amit]Malik Amit
The term 'Dad' is usually a sibling term. Put simply, 'Dad' is used in relation to family affection, but 'Father' when relating to parental responsibility: Yet strangely, to be called a 'Dad' depends firstly upon a recognised 'Father-figure' in discipline. The one makes way for the other, occasioning the paradox of individual freedom(s) made possible by respecting personal and social boundaries. So, the father-figure disciplinarian, (i.e. teacher) sets sensible boundaries, that growth in bonding may take place without violating another's personal space; hence respect.
If family values are initially taught to siblings, they can experience a freedom through being instinctively obedient; liberated from the irritation of constant parental correction, and so accelerating maturation.
Of course, one could be a father in name only, but to be a 'Dad' in the real sense implies a more intimate family relationship.
The first step is to acquire the key family value of respect for the members of the family. This is done by learning to address each member of the family respectfully, e.g. the father and mother must never be referred to as 'the old man' and 'the old lady'. Respect spawns obedience for authority, which becomes evident in teachable children - a dream-come-true for every school teacher.
Respect shown to each family member creates a sense of personal worth, of being addressed in his/her own right, and promotes good, healthy attitudes.
Of course, all this does not happen by magic, as the vital element in all relationships is love, and a man can only be a dad if he gives time and attention to his wife and children, which in certain circumstances may be difficult, but time for them shows their importance and priority in his life.
Children relate easily to pictures. Honourable dads are also good visual examples. Most fathers love their children but that is not the same as being a father figure. Young children are formatively influenced by what they see and experience e.g. affection, gentleness etc. Conversely, anger or selfishness displayed will, (naturally), promote negative traits.
A distinct lack of real dads in this generation of grown-ups has spawned a modern mass of feral youngsters; those who feel that they do not belong; left on the threshold of life, never having been taught how to enter in.
To sup-up the paternal difference:
A 'Father' maybe said to be what a child necessarily relates to.
A 'Dad is what children proudly and affectionately look up to.
Author: Malik Amit
Website Address: http://thatsminedad.com
Here at thatsminedad.com, we have linked with some of the leading companies in the country to provide dads with a one-stop shop and resource of helps and self-helps that would help foster their relationship with their children. If you are looking to build your relationship with your children then please visit us at http://thatsminedad.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Father-Vs-Dad---What-Is-the-Difference?&id=6381399] Father Vs Dad - What Is the Difference?
The term 'Dad' is usually a sibling term. Put simply, 'Dad' is used in relation to family affection, but 'Father' when relating to parental responsibility: Yet strangely, to be called a 'Dad' depends firstly upon a recognised 'Father-figure' in discipline. The one makes way for the other, occasioning the paradox of individual freedom(s) made possible by respecting personal and social boundaries. So, the father-figure disciplinarian, (i.e. teacher) sets sensible boundaries, that growth in bonding may take place without violating another's personal space; hence respect.
If family values are initially taught to siblings, they can experience a freedom through being instinctively obedient; liberated from the irritation of constant parental correction, and so accelerating maturation.
Of course, one could be a father in name only, but to be a 'Dad' in the real sense implies a more intimate family relationship.
The first step is to acquire the key family value of respect for the members of the family. This is done by learning to address each member of the family respectfully, e.g. the father and mother must never be referred to as 'the old man' and 'the old lady'. Respect spawns obedience for authority, which becomes evident in teachable children - a dream-come-true for every school teacher.
Respect shown to each family member creates a sense of personal worth, of being addressed in his/her own right, and promotes good, healthy attitudes.
Of course, all this does not happen by magic, as the vital element in all relationships is love, and a man can only be a dad if he gives time and attention to his wife and children, which in certain circumstances may be difficult, but time for them shows their importance and priority in his life.
Children relate easily to pictures. Honourable dads are also good visual examples. Most fathers love their children but that is not the same as being a father figure. Young children are formatively influenced by what they see and experience e.g. affection, gentleness etc. Conversely, anger or selfishness displayed will, (naturally), promote negative traits.
A distinct lack of real dads in this generation of grown-ups has spawned a modern mass of feral youngsters; those who feel that they do not belong; left on the threshold of life, never having been taught how to enter in.
To sup-up the paternal difference:
A 'Father' maybe said to be what a child necessarily relates to.
A 'Dad is what children proudly and affectionately look up to.
Author: Malik Amit
Website Address: http://thatsminedad.com
Here at thatsminedad.com, we have linked with some of the leading companies in the country to provide dads with a one-stop shop and resource of helps and self-helps that would help foster their relationship with their children. If you are looking to build your relationship with your children then please visit us at http://thatsminedad.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Father-Vs-Dad---What-Is-the-Difference?&id=6381399] Father Vs Dad - What Is the Difference?
Friday, December 16, 2011
90% Of Being A Successful Father Is Showing Up
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ken_Solin]Ken Solin
Woody Allen says 90% of success in life is showing up. That's definitely true for being a good father. Your wife delivers the baby, but the ball is in your end of the court, half of the time, after that.
I was terrified when I brought my infant son home from the hospital. I looked at the tiny, six pound, six-ounce, boy and nearly panicked when I realized he was going to be living with me. I didn't know how to feed him, change him, or get him to stop crying. I was afraid to hold him. I was the ultimate newbie dad. I wasn't confident I'd be able to fill a father's shoes.
I was a full-time, financially strapped, married, twenty-year old college student when my son was born. I had no money, and only one way to get any. I worked five part-time jobs during the day and into the night to pay the rent and feed my wife and son. Sometimes I ate dinner, and sometimes I didn't. I was that close to the edge, and still had seven months to go before graduating.
While I didn't have any choice about showing up, in person, showing up emotionally was a choice. My anxiety level was through the roof just thinking about being responsible for such a small, helpless human being.
I suppose it's obvious, my son wasn't planned. While a baby is born whether he's planned or not, intention does play a helpful role in mapping out a baby's life. My financial instability worried me every minute of every day, and I feared being poor even more than I feared being a father.
My marriage to a young French girl I'd met studying in London was a disaster. I had made a complete mess of my life. My wife and I divorced just after I graduated college. She went back to France, but I refused to allow her to take my son with her. He was American by birth and consequently I was given sole custody of a one year old.
I was a wobbly father at first. I had just begun my career after college and needed more sleep than I was getting. I remember trying to get my son to sleep through the night. I thought that a small amount of oatmeal mixed into his night bottle might stick to his ribs and help him sleep longer. I used a hot needle to make a bigger opening in the nipple and fed my son the mixture. It worked. I had discovered that at least some of being a parent was being innovative.
When I think about raising that baby forty-four years later, the beginning seems like a foggy dream. I went to work, hunkered down and made a living. I found a wonderful woman to take care of my son during the day, and when I traveled for business. Life as a single dad was good. I spent nearly all my free time with my son. I didn't have much of a social life for a decade, but I felt something in my heart that directed all my energies to him.
Somewhere along this journey, I fell in love with my son, and I've adored him ever since. I raised him as a single dad for most of his childhood. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Raising my son was the greatest achievement in my life.
Did I do a good job? When I look at the man he is today, I'm certain I did. I have a seven-year old grandson, and for the first time in my family's history, there are three generations of Solin men living at the same time. We all share a sense of unconditional love for each other. When my grandson wraps his arms around my neck, kisses my cheek, and tells me, "I love you Grandpa Kenny", I feel the same joy I felt with my son.
Since I was my son's only parent, showing up wasn't really an option for me. But it's not really an option for any father. Granted, there are circumstances under which it's far more difficult to become emotionally involved, but in the end, a son needs his father to nourish him emotionally as much as he needs food. And, a woman can't be expected to raise a son without the much-needed, male influence of his father.
If you're a new dad, congratulations. I hope you find it in your heart to show up. I promise you'll never be sorry. I'd like to hear from new dads, and I'm open to sharing what I've learned, so please feel free to write and tell me your story.
For twenty years, author and lecturer Ken Solin has helped men move beyond the issues that limit their lives. Both men and women follow Ken since his work is primarily about relationships.
Ken's website, http://www.kensolin.com/ is filled blogs about real life problems.
There's a frank, gritty, 42 minute television pilot about men that will surprise men and women alike.
There's also book excerpts from Ken's new, soon to be published book, Eight Angry Men.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?90%-Of-Being-A-Successful-Father-Is-Showing-Up&id=6389841] 90% Of Being A Successful Father Is Showing Up
Woody Allen says 90% of success in life is showing up. That's definitely true for being a good father. Your wife delivers the baby, but the ball is in your end of the court, half of the time, after that.
I was terrified when I brought my infant son home from the hospital. I looked at the tiny, six pound, six-ounce, boy and nearly panicked when I realized he was going to be living with me. I didn't know how to feed him, change him, or get him to stop crying. I was afraid to hold him. I was the ultimate newbie dad. I wasn't confident I'd be able to fill a father's shoes.
I was a full-time, financially strapped, married, twenty-year old college student when my son was born. I had no money, and only one way to get any. I worked five part-time jobs during the day and into the night to pay the rent and feed my wife and son. Sometimes I ate dinner, and sometimes I didn't. I was that close to the edge, and still had seven months to go before graduating.
While I didn't have any choice about showing up, in person, showing up emotionally was a choice. My anxiety level was through the roof just thinking about being responsible for such a small, helpless human being.
I suppose it's obvious, my son wasn't planned. While a baby is born whether he's planned or not, intention does play a helpful role in mapping out a baby's life. My financial instability worried me every minute of every day, and I feared being poor even more than I feared being a father.
My marriage to a young French girl I'd met studying in London was a disaster. I had made a complete mess of my life. My wife and I divorced just after I graduated college. She went back to France, but I refused to allow her to take my son with her. He was American by birth and consequently I was given sole custody of a one year old.
I was a wobbly father at first. I had just begun my career after college and needed more sleep than I was getting. I remember trying to get my son to sleep through the night. I thought that a small amount of oatmeal mixed into his night bottle might stick to his ribs and help him sleep longer. I used a hot needle to make a bigger opening in the nipple and fed my son the mixture. It worked. I had discovered that at least some of being a parent was being innovative.
When I think about raising that baby forty-four years later, the beginning seems like a foggy dream. I went to work, hunkered down and made a living. I found a wonderful woman to take care of my son during the day, and when I traveled for business. Life as a single dad was good. I spent nearly all my free time with my son. I didn't have much of a social life for a decade, but I felt something in my heart that directed all my energies to him.
Somewhere along this journey, I fell in love with my son, and I've adored him ever since. I raised him as a single dad for most of his childhood. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Raising my son was the greatest achievement in my life.
Did I do a good job? When I look at the man he is today, I'm certain I did. I have a seven-year old grandson, and for the first time in my family's history, there are three generations of Solin men living at the same time. We all share a sense of unconditional love for each other. When my grandson wraps his arms around my neck, kisses my cheek, and tells me, "I love you Grandpa Kenny", I feel the same joy I felt with my son.
Since I was my son's only parent, showing up wasn't really an option for me. But it's not really an option for any father. Granted, there are circumstances under which it's far more difficult to become emotionally involved, but in the end, a son needs his father to nourish him emotionally as much as he needs food. And, a woman can't be expected to raise a son without the much-needed, male influence of his father.
If you're a new dad, congratulations. I hope you find it in your heart to show up. I promise you'll never be sorry. I'd like to hear from new dads, and I'm open to sharing what I've learned, so please feel free to write and tell me your story.
For twenty years, author and lecturer Ken Solin has helped men move beyond the issues that limit their lives. Both men and women follow Ken since his work is primarily about relationships.
Ken's website, http://www.kensolin.com/ is filled blogs about real life problems.
There's a frank, gritty, 42 minute television pilot about men that will surprise men and women alike.
There's also book excerpts from Ken's new, soon to be published book, Eight Angry Men.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?90%-Of-Being-A-Successful-Father-Is-Showing-Up&id=6389841] 90% Of Being A Successful Father Is Showing Up
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Three Must-Knows For New Dads
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Valentina_Kaltchev]Valentina Kaltchev
There has been much written for the Expecting-Moms and for New Moms, but the Dads or Soon-To-Be Dads are somehow left on the sideline. There are certainly bits of advice floating around which despite being trivial are not wrong but not much helpful either. With that in mind, it seemed necessary to provide new Dads with a few life lessons detailing three things that every Dad should be aware of.
There are essentially three things that all great Dads use when raising their children; they are also the measuring stick that all other advice and activities should be held to. Following these three tips will ensure a strong foundation for a successful and happy relationship between dad and kids.
Trust your intuition. Regardless if it's your third or first time being a dad you have a formed idea of how you want or don't want to care for and raise your child. Advices will be aplenty - from family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues and everybody who has a baby or just finished reading a book on raising a baby. Nothing bad with all that but when it comes down to it, you, the new Dad, have to make your own choices and they will be based on what you feel is right for your child. You will be able to draw from memories of your own childhood and decide what works and what doesn't, what you want to keep and what you want to stay away from. As a new Dad, try to remember that there is not a single manual, book or person whose parenting advice will provide you with the one and only right way of raising your child. Consider the offered knowledge and experience but base your parenting upon the instinct welling up inside you. As Michael Burke says "Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out."
Make playtime dad's time. Moms and Dads are different and so is what they bring to the playing time of their children. To describe the difference in Mom's and Dad's playing patterns, consider that Moms like to play face to face with their child, usually keeping the baby very close. On the other hand Dads tend to carry their babies in the 'look at the world' manner, facing out and exploring it together. You, as a Dad, bring an outward adventure and a different look and feel to life. Remember that play time is discovery time and that your baby will learn through interacting with you and through 'touch and see' of different objects. Besides being fun, when you play with your babies you help them with their burgeoning motor skills, development of their brain and language, to name just a few of those early developmental steps. Also, you are creating a habit which will naturally be carried over the years.
Give yourself 'Me Time'. Allow yourself a breather and don't feel guilty about it. Time for yourself is not running away from your baby but rather replenishing your batteries which babies have a tendency to drain very fast. Be consistent with this weekly pressure release practice; sorry to bring up Mom again but remember that she needs it too. 'Me Time' will lessen stress, worries and concerns about family, money or work and will give you a new found endurance to deal with all of them. Best of all, you'll be eager to submerge in your baby's world again and continue working on this truly special bond of love that rivals no other feeling.
These three know-hows don't call for anything extraordinary or heroic and you do not have to go out of your way to practice them. Embrace them and your ride in the Fatherhood Land will be enjoyable, fun and so rewarding.
Valentina Kaltchev is the founder of TheQuiltFairy.com, an online boutique for handmade [http://www.thequiltfairy.com/baby-quilts]baby quilts, [http://www.thequiltfairy.com/baby-crib-bedding]baby crib bedding and custom accessories for creating designer's look and relaxing atmosphere in your baby's nursery.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Three-Must-Knows-For-New-Dads&id=6394189] Three Must-Knows For New Dads
There has been much written for the Expecting-Moms and for New Moms, but the Dads or Soon-To-Be Dads are somehow left on the sideline. There are certainly bits of advice floating around which despite being trivial are not wrong but not much helpful either. With that in mind, it seemed necessary to provide new Dads with a few life lessons detailing three things that every Dad should be aware of.
There are essentially three things that all great Dads use when raising their children; they are also the measuring stick that all other advice and activities should be held to. Following these three tips will ensure a strong foundation for a successful and happy relationship between dad and kids.
Trust your intuition. Regardless if it's your third or first time being a dad you have a formed idea of how you want or don't want to care for and raise your child. Advices will be aplenty - from family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues and everybody who has a baby or just finished reading a book on raising a baby. Nothing bad with all that but when it comes down to it, you, the new Dad, have to make your own choices and they will be based on what you feel is right for your child. You will be able to draw from memories of your own childhood and decide what works and what doesn't, what you want to keep and what you want to stay away from. As a new Dad, try to remember that there is not a single manual, book or person whose parenting advice will provide you with the one and only right way of raising your child. Consider the offered knowledge and experience but base your parenting upon the instinct welling up inside you. As Michael Burke says "Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out."
Make playtime dad's time. Moms and Dads are different and so is what they bring to the playing time of their children. To describe the difference in Mom's and Dad's playing patterns, consider that Moms like to play face to face with their child, usually keeping the baby very close. On the other hand Dads tend to carry their babies in the 'look at the world' manner, facing out and exploring it together. You, as a Dad, bring an outward adventure and a different look and feel to life. Remember that play time is discovery time and that your baby will learn through interacting with you and through 'touch and see' of different objects. Besides being fun, when you play with your babies you help them with their burgeoning motor skills, development of their brain and language, to name just a few of those early developmental steps. Also, you are creating a habit which will naturally be carried over the years.
Give yourself 'Me Time'. Allow yourself a breather and don't feel guilty about it. Time for yourself is not running away from your baby but rather replenishing your batteries which babies have a tendency to drain very fast. Be consistent with this weekly pressure release practice; sorry to bring up Mom again but remember that she needs it too. 'Me Time' will lessen stress, worries and concerns about family, money or work and will give you a new found endurance to deal with all of them. Best of all, you'll be eager to submerge in your baby's world again and continue working on this truly special bond of love that rivals no other feeling.
These three know-hows don't call for anything extraordinary or heroic and you do not have to go out of your way to practice them. Embrace them and your ride in the Fatherhood Land will be enjoyable, fun and so rewarding.
Valentina Kaltchev is the founder of TheQuiltFairy.com, an online boutique for handmade [http://www.thequiltfairy.com/baby-quilts]baby quilts, [http://www.thequiltfairy.com/baby-crib-bedding]baby crib bedding and custom accessories for creating designer's look and relaxing atmosphere in your baby's nursery.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Three-Must-Knows-For-New-Dads&id=6394189] Three Must-Knows For New Dads
Monday, December 12, 2011
Divorced Fathers and the Influence of Their Relationship With Children
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Marshall]Andrew Marshall
When parent's divorce, the relationship each parent has with their children can have a significant influence on their lives. This article looks at the importance and influence of a child's relationship with his/her Father if he no longer lives in the family home.
In the UK around 9 in 10 single resident parents are female, meaning after divorce many children do not have daily contact with their Father. There is evidence to suggest that around a quarter of children never see a parent they don't live with.
Just because a Father does not live with his children does not mean the relationship is not an important one. It is generally see as important that boys have a positive role model to look up to; a role that should be taken on by his Father. Whether or not this influence exists, as well as the nature of this influence, it can have an impact on a child's behaviour as an adult.
There are potential negative impacts on a boy if his Father is not around, especially if there is no positive male influence in his life. As he doesn't have a male role model he may not understand how he should behave. If in a female dominated household (possible with his Mother and Sisters) he may feel like he doesn't have anyone to talk to about certain issues; that there is no-one who can understand his feelings. This can cause behavioural and other problems. It has been suggested that having no Father around can increase the chances of depression.
The issues for boys not having a Father figure may be more obvious, but it can also be important for girls. It can impact their relationships with men in the future. Not being in regular contact with a man means that a girl may not have the same understanding of female-male relationships as they might otherwise have.
Some studies have shown that the behaviour of boys is worse where there is no relationship with a Father. They are more likely to behave worse at school, more likely to turn to alcohol and drugs and more likely to commit a criminal offence. Of course, this doesn't mean any child whose Father is not around will have these problems, but they are more common amongst Fatherless children than for children whose Father's are in regular contact with them.
It is not just whether a Father is around that is important but the quality of the relationship and the specific influence he has. How much time they spend together is important; whether they have weekly contact or only see each other once in a blue moon. Children need someone to talk to about their problems so it is important that a Father is someone they can talk to, especially as there are issues that may require a male point of view.
If a Fathers influence is negative, on the other hand, then a relationship between Father and child is not necessarily a good thing. For example with a Son, negative behaviour from a Father may give them an idea of how to behave, but not the right way to behave. It may make certain unacceptable behaviour seem acceptable.
Children tend to want both of their parents involved in their lives. Some studies have reported that most children with separated parents think that the main negative influence of the breakup of their parents' relationship is losing or having less contact with their Father. The vast majority want contact with their Father, this goes for both those who currently do have contact and those who do not.
How do step-Fathers come into this? Perhaps not surprisingly, evidence shows that relationships between step-Fathers and children are less close than between biological Fathers and their children. However in many cases it can grow into a positive relationship, they can become a positive role model. As with a biological Father, a relationship between a step-Father and children can influence their behaviour both negatively and positively.
Andrew Marshall (c)
Bross Bennett are [http://www.brossbennett.co.uk/]Divorce Solicitors London.
Steel and Shamash are [http://www.steelandshamash.co.uk/]Family Law Solicitors.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Divorced-Fathers-and-the-Influence-of-Their-Relationship-With-Children&id=6407279] Divorced Fathers and the Influence of Their Relationship With Children
When parent's divorce, the relationship each parent has with their children can have a significant influence on their lives. This article looks at the importance and influence of a child's relationship with his/her Father if he no longer lives in the family home.
In the UK around 9 in 10 single resident parents are female, meaning after divorce many children do not have daily contact with their Father. There is evidence to suggest that around a quarter of children never see a parent they don't live with.
Just because a Father does not live with his children does not mean the relationship is not an important one. It is generally see as important that boys have a positive role model to look up to; a role that should be taken on by his Father. Whether or not this influence exists, as well as the nature of this influence, it can have an impact on a child's behaviour as an adult.
There are potential negative impacts on a boy if his Father is not around, especially if there is no positive male influence in his life. As he doesn't have a male role model he may not understand how he should behave. If in a female dominated household (possible with his Mother and Sisters) he may feel like he doesn't have anyone to talk to about certain issues; that there is no-one who can understand his feelings. This can cause behavioural and other problems. It has been suggested that having no Father around can increase the chances of depression.
The issues for boys not having a Father figure may be more obvious, but it can also be important for girls. It can impact their relationships with men in the future. Not being in regular contact with a man means that a girl may not have the same understanding of female-male relationships as they might otherwise have.
Some studies have shown that the behaviour of boys is worse where there is no relationship with a Father. They are more likely to behave worse at school, more likely to turn to alcohol and drugs and more likely to commit a criminal offence. Of course, this doesn't mean any child whose Father is not around will have these problems, but they are more common amongst Fatherless children than for children whose Father's are in regular contact with them.
It is not just whether a Father is around that is important but the quality of the relationship and the specific influence he has. How much time they spend together is important; whether they have weekly contact or only see each other once in a blue moon. Children need someone to talk to about their problems so it is important that a Father is someone they can talk to, especially as there are issues that may require a male point of view.
If a Fathers influence is negative, on the other hand, then a relationship between Father and child is not necessarily a good thing. For example with a Son, negative behaviour from a Father may give them an idea of how to behave, but not the right way to behave. It may make certain unacceptable behaviour seem acceptable.
Children tend to want both of their parents involved in their lives. Some studies have reported that most children with separated parents think that the main negative influence of the breakup of their parents' relationship is losing or having less contact with their Father. The vast majority want contact with their Father, this goes for both those who currently do have contact and those who do not.
How do step-Fathers come into this? Perhaps not surprisingly, evidence shows that relationships between step-Fathers and children are less close than between biological Fathers and their children. However in many cases it can grow into a positive relationship, they can become a positive role model. As with a biological Father, a relationship between a step-Father and children can influence their behaviour both negatively and positively.
Andrew Marshall (c)
Bross Bennett are [http://www.brossbennett.co.uk/]Divorce Solicitors London.
Steel and Shamash are [http://www.steelandshamash.co.uk/]Family Law Solicitors.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Divorced-Fathers-and-the-Influence-of-Their-Relationship-With-Children&id=6407279] Divorced Fathers and the Influence of Their Relationship With Children
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Vasectomy Reversal Doctors: Their Influence to Fatherhood
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Seomul_Evans]Seomul Evans
Speaking in a scientific term, vasectomy reversal doctors are trained medical professionals who perform surgery to undo vasectomy.
How Do They Do It
Prior to the operation, doctors provide patients with detailed and thorough medical explanation about the surgery including the risks and possible complications.
Depending on the technique used to operate, the doctor penetrates inside the scrotum, locates the vas deferens, and reconnects both ends. On a more complicated case, vas deferens is connected to the epididymis.
After the operation, the doctor monitors the progress of the operation and will request for timely semen analysis. Continuous monitor is ideal until successful pregnancy is achieved. Otherwise your vasectomy reversal doctor may refer you to an infertility specialist.
Influence to Fatherhood
Having a vasectomy can be a very complicated issue not just to the couple, but to the family as a whole. In a change of mind, men consider a vasectomy reversal to regain fertility. Reasons for reversing vasectomy vary from one person to another. The decision can be due to divorce, remarriage, death of a spouse, loss of a child, desire to expand the family, financial stability, or medical reasons in very rare case. Regardless of the reason, when men are firmly decided to undergo vasectomy reversal, doctors play their part.
Doctors play an important role in the society. The divorce rate worldwide is certainly uprising. Even without looking at the statistics, reports from different media outlets will attest truth to this. In this matter, divorce after vasectomy is much painful and agonizing to men especially when reversing vasectomy is impossible.
From a bird's eye point of view, vasectomy reversal doctors are great influences in building a family. Not only will they undo sterility, these doctors also give positive hope to men who will embark on a new chapter of their lives. Imagine the medical arena without them existing on the field. Based on the US statistics, an average of 500,000 men undergoes vasectomy per year. Five percent of these men are likely to consider vasectomy reversal. Based on this number, roughly about 25,000 men are given hope to father a child again.
When you look at the bigger picture, doctors are considered heroes by these men. Although there are alternatives to father a child again after a vasectomy, it is still a better option. The procedure is less expensive and potentially more effective than other alternatives.
The Real Deal: Regaining Fatherhood
Reversing vasectomy means to father a child again. Consequently, fathering a child again means starting life anew. The importance of a father's role is often underestimated. Unfortunately, sometimes even fathers do not act responsibly and failed to play the role of a real father.
While embarking on a new life after reversing vasectomy, men are just so excited to produce offspring again. They now understand fatherhood much better than prior to vasectomy. Perhaps time and circumstances made them realized the importance of responsible parenthood. Without doctors to undo vasectomy, these men will not be given another chance to establish a new family of their own. In the real sense, doctors are heroes and great influences to the society. Fatherhood is not a right, but a privilege.
Seomul Evans is a [http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com/]SEO consultant for [http://www.vasectomyreversal.com/]Vasectomy Reversal
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Vasectomy-Reversal-Doctors:-Their-Influence-to-Fatherhood&id=6405296] Vasectomy Reversal Doctors: Their Influence to Fatherhood
Speaking in a scientific term, vasectomy reversal doctors are trained medical professionals who perform surgery to undo vasectomy.
How Do They Do It
Prior to the operation, doctors provide patients with detailed and thorough medical explanation about the surgery including the risks and possible complications.
Depending on the technique used to operate, the doctor penetrates inside the scrotum, locates the vas deferens, and reconnects both ends. On a more complicated case, vas deferens is connected to the epididymis.
After the operation, the doctor monitors the progress of the operation and will request for timely semen analysis. Continuous monitor is ideal until successful pregnancy is achieved. Otherwise your vasectomy reversal doctor may refer you to an infertility specialist.
Influence to Fatherhood
Having a vasectomy can be a very complicated issue not just to the couple, but to the family as a whole. In a change of mind, men consider a vasectomy reversal to regain fertility. Reasons for reversing vasectomy vary from one person to another. The decision can be due to divorce, remarriage, death of a spouse, loss of a child, desire to expand the family, financial stability, or medical reasons in very rare case. Regardless of the reason, when men are firmly decided to undergo vasectomy reversal, doctors play their part.
Doctors play an important role in the society. The divorce rate worldwide is certainly uprising. Even without looking at the statistics, reports from different media outlets will attest truth to this. In this matter, divorce after vasectomy is much painful and agonizing to men especially when reversing vasectomy is impossible.
From a bird's eye point of view, vasectomy reversal doctors are great influences in building a family. Not only will they undo sterility, these doctors also give positive hope to men who will embark on a new chapter of their lives. Imagine the medical arena without them existing on the field. Based on the US statistics, an average of 500,000 men undergoes vasectomy per year. Five percent of these men are likely to consider vasectomy reversal. Based on this number, roughly about 25,000 men are given hope to father a child again.
When you look at the bigger picture, doctors are considered heroes by these men. Although there are alternatives to father a child again after a vasectomy, it is still a better option. The procedure is less expensive and potentially more effective than other alternatives.
The Real Deal: Regaining Fatherhood
Reversing vasectomy means to father a child again. Consequently, fathering a child again means starting life anew. The importance of a father's role is often underestimated. Unfortunately, sometimes even fathers do not act responsibly and failed to play the role of a real father.
While embarking on a new life after reversing vasectomy, men are just so excited to produce offspring again. They now understand fatherhood much better than prior to vasectomy. Perhaps time and circumstances made them realized the importance of responsible parenthood. Without doctors to undo vasectomy, these men will not be given another chance to establish a new family of their own. In the real sense, doctors are heroes and great influences to the society. Fatherhood is not a right, but a privilege.
Seomul Evans is a [http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com/]SEO consultant for [http://www.vasectomyreversal.com/]Vasectomy Reversal
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Vasectomy-Reversal-Doctors:-Their-Influence-to-Fatherhood&id=6405296] Vasectomy Reversal Doctors: Their Influence to Fatherhood
Thursday, December 8, 2011
3 Big Mistakes I Made As A New Father
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=William_Jason]William Jason
When I first found out my wife was pregnant and we were expecting our first child, I promised myself that I would do everything I could to take on my share of responsibility for raising our baby. I literally went out to the bookstore that day and bought several books on raising a baby, and I read them from cover to cover throughout my wife's pregnancy. I literally read close to 1000 pages on the development of babies and just about every review I could get my hands on for baby products. I thought I had all of my bases covered, but even with all of the information I read, I still made a plethora of mistakes.
One of the biggest mistakes I made and one that really shakes me up every time I think about, is the fact that I did not have my baby's car seat installed properly for close to three months. When a friend pointed out how loose it was and that I did not install it properly, I got a huge wake-up call. Ever since that day, I always take any car seat that needs to be installed to a car see inspection station, and I strongly urge you to do the same. You can find the locations of these inspection stations in your area, by doing a simple search online.
Another big mistake I made was that on several occasions I forgot to check to make sure my baby was actually strapped into her car seat. What good is having your car seat installed properly, if you forget to strap your baby in? Sometimes when my wife and I were in a hurry, I would assume that she had strapped our daughter into the car seat and vice versa. Since we had a cover on the car seat, you could not easily see if she was strapped in or not. On a few occasions when we got to our destination, we would be horrified to find out that she was not in fact buckled in. After the second or third time it happened, we both made it a point to always check to make sure she was strapped in, before the car was started.
Finally, another costly mistake I made was to buy too much baby clothing when my baby was first born. I didn't realize how quickly my daughter was going to grow out of her clothing, and she only ended up wearing about a quarter of the outfits I bought for her. I could have literally saved hundreds of dollars, by only buying clothing for her as needed.
While you are bound to make plenty of mistakes as a new parent, hopefully by reading this article, you will be able to avoid the mistakes I listed above, and not have to learn the hard way like I did.
William Jason is a writer and blog publisher who focuses mainly on parenting issues. His blog now has a new section with his favorite handpicked [http://babydollstroller.net/natural-childbirth-video/]natural childbirth video and articles.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Big-Mistakes-I-Made-As-A-New-Father&id=6425443] 3 Big Mistakes I Made As A New Father
When I first found out my wife was pregnant and we were expecting our first child, I promised myself that I would do everything I could to take on my share of responsibility for raising our baby. I literally went out to the bookstore that day and bought several books on raising a baby, and I read them from cover to cover throughout my wife's pregnancy. I literally read close to 1000 pages on the development of babies and just about every review I could get my hands on for baby products. I thought I had all of my bases covered, but even with all of the information I read, I still made a plethora of mistakes.
One of the biggest mistakes I made and one that really shakes me up every time I think about, is the fact that I did not have my baby's car seat installed properly for close to three months. When a friend pointed out how loose it was and that I did not install it properly, I got a huge wake-up call. Ever since that day, I always take any car seat that needs to be installed to a car see inspection station, and I strongly urge you to do the same. You can find the locations of these inspection stations in your area, by doing a simple search online.
Another big mistake I made was that on several occasions I forgot to check to make sure my baby was actually strapped into her car seat. What good is having your car seat installed properly, if you forget to strap your baby in? Sometimes when my wife and I were in a hurry, I would assume that she had strapped our daughter into the car seat and vice versa. Since we had a cover on the car seat, you could not easily see if she was strapped in or not. On a few occasions when we got to our destination, we would be horrified to find out that she was not in fact buckled in. After the second or third time it happened, we both made it a point to always check to make sure she was strapped in, before the car was started.
Finally, another costly mistake I made was to buy too much baby clothing when my baby was first born. I didn't realize how quickly my daughter was going to grow out of her clothing, and she only ended up wearing about a quarter of the outfits I bought for her. I could have literally saved hundreds of dollars, by only buying clothing for her as needed.
While you are bound to make plenty of mistakes as a new parent, hopefully by reading this article, you will be able to avoid the mistakes I listed above, and not have to learn the hard way like I did.
William Jason is a writer and blog publisher who focuses mainly on parenting issues. His blog now has a new section with his favorite handpicked [http://babydollstroller.net/natural-childbirth-video/]natural childbirth video and articles.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Big-Mistakes-I-Made-As-A-New-Father&id=6425443] 3 Big Mistakes I Made As A New Father
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
There Are Many Great Fathers - Are You One?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Steve_W_Litt]Steve W Litt
Sitting in a library waiting for a meeting to start, I saw a book on "Incest Survivors". I was early for the meeting, so I picked it up and started with the introduction.
The author began her story something like this: "It was late and the house was dark. I was in bed pretending to be asleep when my father opened the door and quietly moved toward my bed. He bent over me while I continued to pretend to sleep. He inched closer and kissed me on the forehead, tucked in my blanket and tiptoed out of the room. You see, I grew up knowing what good touch was from a man I could trust and love without fear. Many children did not have that experience."
I was expecting another incest story, but instead was reminded that there are wonderful fathers out there. Men that make the world safe for their children are all around us. I watch men in my practice turn their lives around. I witness miracles every day. One of the happiest moments for many of them is when they recognize that they have become the dad they wanted to be. Here's how.
First a great Father shows up! He takes every opportunity to be there for his children and their mother. He is involved in their lives on a daily basis. He changes diapers, bathes babies, teaches his children the difference between right and wrong by his example and his words. He tickles, laughs and reads to or with his children.
The great fathers listen to their kids and try to understand who they are. They ignore little mistakes, but give great attention to successes. They guide by offering direction and correction in a loving way. By doing these things they teach their sons how to be men and fathers and teach daughters what to look for in men.
The greatest gift a father can give his children is to treat their mother well, even if the couple is divorced or apart. This offers children a role model and a sense of security and well being. Children are grateful when their parents have a relationship that works well and is stable, loving and fun.
If, as a father, you have not done as well as you wanted, there is always time to improve.
Start today!
No matter what your life is, you will find it enhanced by trying to be the next father of the year. I have witnessed many men finding their way to greatness. They were not the best fathers until they started working on it in a concerted way.
You can do this! You can be a great Dad. Maybe you already are.
Real Men are there for their kids!
Steve Litt has been providing psychotherapy for over 40 years. Steve was named Therapist of the Year by the Colorado branch of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) for 2010. Steve provides original content at [http://blog.smarterrelationships.com/]SMARTERrelationships.com. You can follow him on Twitter at [http://www.twitter.com/stevelittadvice]@SteveLittAdvice.
Steve W Litt, LCSW
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?There-Are-Many-Great-Fathers---Are-You-One?&id=6425166] There Are Many Great Fathers - Are You One?
Sitting in a library waiting for a meeting to start, I saw a book on "Incest Survivors". I was early for the meeting, so I picked it up and started with the introduction.
The author began her story something like this: "It was late and the house was dark. I was in bed pretending to be asleep when my father opened the door and quietly moved toward my bed. He bent over me while I continued to pretend to sleep. He inched closer and kissed me on the forehead, tucked in my blanket and tiptoed out of the room. You see, I grew up knowing what good touch was from a man I could trust and love without fear. Many children did not have that experience."
I was expecting another incest story, but instead was reminded that there are wonderful fathers out there. Men that make the world safe for their children are all around us. I watch men in my practice turn their lives around. I witness miracles every day. One of the happiest moments for many of them is when they recognize that they have become the dad they wanted to be. Here's how.
First a great Father shows up! He takes every opportunity to be there for his children and their mother. He is involved in their lives on a daily basis. He changes diapers, bathes babies, teaches his children the difference between right and wrong by his example and his words. He tickles, laughs and reads to or with his children.
The great fathers listen to their kids and try to understand who they are. They ignore little mistakes, but give great attention to successes. They guide by offering direction and correction in a loving way. By doing these things they teach their sons how to be men and fathers and teach daughters what to look for in men.
The greatest gift a father can give his children is to treat their mother well, even if the couple is divorced or apart. This offers children a role model and a sense of security and well being. Children are grateful when their parents have a relationship that works well and is stable, loving and fun.
If, as a father, you have not done as well as you wanted, there is always time to improve.
Start today!
No matter what your life is, you will find it enhanced by trying to be the next father of the year. I have witnessed many men finding their way to greatness. They were not the best fathers until they started working on it in a concerted way.
You can do this! You can be a great Dad. Maybe you already are.
Real Men are there for their kids!
Steve Litt has been providing psychotherapy for over 40 years. Steve was named Therapist of the Year by the Colorado branch of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) for 2010. Steve provides original content at [http://blog.smarterrelationships.com/]SMARTERrelationships.com. You can follow him on Twitter at [http://www.twitter.com/stevelittadvice]@SteveLittAdvice.
Steve W Litt, LCSW
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?There-Are-Many-Great-Fathers---Are-You-One?&id=6425166] There Are Many Great Fathers - Are You One?
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Get Dad Birthday Gifts That Are Useful and Funny
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Dsouza_Prabhu]Ruth Dsouza Prabhu
Birthdays can be real fun no matter who the person and how old they are. So get your dad birthday gifts that are unusual like playing a prank or two to make his special day memorable. If you have a dad who is a sport and will take a few funny antics in stride, then here are some things you can try out.
Birthday cakes are a must, but how about an inedible one? Make the cake as you would a normal recipe, but switch a few ingredients; instead of water, mix in tonic water, substitute sugar with salt. Grab a hold of a few other spices and condiments and dump them all in. Bake this cake up and if it comes out with any odors, just mask it with a bit of frosting and keep an actual cake handy for when the guffaws are over.
A great prank on dad would be to take his toothpaste and squeeze everything out of it. Use a syringe or mom's icing bag and fill the tube with frosting. Replace the cap and place it just where dad always does. He will not suspect a thing till he realizes his toothpaste tastes distinctly like softened sugar.
Make an unusual birthday treat. Take a fairly round shaped potato and coat it completely with molten chocolate. Roll this around in a generous helping of sprinkles and stick in a Popsicle stick. After a stint in the fridge, offer this to dad as a specially made sweet treat and just wait to see if he sportingly eats it so as not to let you down.
A particularly good trick is to reset all the clocks in the house to two hours earlier on the eve of dad's birthday. Make sure to do this when he is asleep. He will wake up the next day, a bit disoriented from being two hours early and will get all flustered when no one seems to be calling up to wish him. Cut the joke out the minute you see him starting to get really disappointed.
Save papers from a couple of months earlier and make sure they look exactly how the daily newspaper looks. This works really well for those people who can't do without the morning news. Make sure you replace the day's paper with the old one and try to hold on to those snickers when dad looks all confused while reading. Give him his actual paper after you have enjoyed his hassled looks.
Conspire with the young and old in the neighborhood. Have them walk up to him during the course of the day, wish him and then promise to be there at the evening party he is hosting. Make sure that they name one of the most expensive, upscale restaurants in town. His look of bewilderment will be priceless.
Once you are done with the pranks, you will want some great gifts to make it up to dad. Try a personalized engraved whiskey glass. This is especially good for those who love their night cap. Having a personal message carved out on it will make it all the more appreciated.
A gift for someone with a great sense of humor and a passion for golf would be the Toilet Golf set. This combines tee time with bathroom breaks and ensures that there is never a minute that is wasted. The set comes with a putting green, golf balls, a putter and the best part - a 'Do not disturb' sign.
A Marquetry wall hanging with a bass and dragonfly image would do great for a lover of fishing. This is one image that will constantly remind him of a great catch. Marquetry uses tiny bits of veneer in varied shapes and textures to fill in a number of great looking images.
And if you want your dad to be able to show off to guests at the dinner table, get him the Magic Floating Wine Bottle holder. The chain is manufactured such that it gives of the image of a bottle suspended in air. Of course it will hold only one bottle at a time.
Your dad has always ensured that you have a memorable birthday each year. It is only befitting that you do the same for him.
This article on getting your [http://www.marqartgiftshop.com/Gifts-for-Dad_c_57.html]dad birthday gifts that are quirky and unusual was written by Ruth D'Souza Prabhu of MarqART Gift Shop.
Our wood designs are original works of art, no two creations are the same. Each wood shown has its own unique wood grain pattern and color. MarqART comes from combining the words marquetry (wood inlay) + Art (a creation of beauty) an apt name for our products. A fine addition to your dressing table or as a gift.
For more [http://www.marqartgiftshop.com/Unique-Gifts_c_52.html]unique gifts, please visit marqartgiftshop.com.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Get-Dad-Birthday-Gifts-That-Are-Useful-and-Funny&id=6437955] Get Dad Birthday Gifts That Are Useful and Funny
Birthdays can be real fun no matter who the person and how old they are. So get your dad birthday gifts that are unusual like playing a prank or two to make his special day memorable. If you have a dad who is a sport and will take a few funny antics in stride, then here are some things you can try out.
Birthday cakes are a must, but how about an inedible one? Make the cake as you would a normal recipe, but switch a few ingredients; instead of water, mix in tonic water, substitute sugar with salt. Grab a hold of a few other spices and condiments and dump them all in. Bake this cake up and if it comes out with any odors, just mask it with a bit of frosting and keep an actual cake handy for when the guffaws are over.
A great prank on dad would be to take his toothpaste and squeeze everything out of it. Use a syringe or mom's icing bag and fill the tube with frosting. Replace the cap and place it just where dad always does. He will not suspect a thing till he realizes his toothpaste tastes distinctly like softened sugar.
Make an unusual birthday treat. Take a fairly round shaped potato and coat it completely with molten chocolate. Roll this around in a generous helping of sprinkles and stick in a Popsicle stick. After a stint in the fridge, offer this to dad as a specially made sweet treat and just wait to see if he sportingly eats it so as not to let you down.
A particularly good trick is to reset all the clocks in the house to two hours earlier on the eve of dad's birthday. Make sure to do this when he is asleep. He will wake up the next day, a bit disoriented from being two hours early and will get all flustered when no one seems to be calling up to wish him. Cut the joke out the minute you see him starting to get really disappointed.
Save papers from a couple of months earlier and make sure they look exactly how the daily newspaper looks. This works really well for those people who can't do without the morning news. Make sure you replace the day's paper with the old one and try to hold on to those snickers when dad looks all confused while reading. Give him his actual paper after you have enjoyed his hassled looks.
Conspire with the young and old in the neighborhood. Have them walk up to him during the course of the day, wish him and then promise to be there at the evening party he is hosting. Make sure that they name one of the most expensive, upscale restaurants in town. His look of bewilderment will be priceless.
Once you are done with the pranks, you will want some great gifts to make it up to dad. Try a personalized engraved whiskey glass. This is especially good for those who love their night cap. Having a personal message carved out on it will make it all the more appreciated.
A gift for someone with a great sense of humor and a passion for golf would be the Toilet Golf set. This combines tee time with bathroom breaks and ensures that there is never a minute that is wasted. The set comes with a putting green, golf balls, a putter and the best part - a 'Do not disturb' sign.
A Marquetry wall hanging with a bass and dragonfly image would do great for a lover of fishing. This is one image that will constantly remind him of a great catch. Marquetry uses tiny bits of veneer in varied shapes and textures to fill in a number of great looking images.
And if you want your dad to be able to show off to guests at the dinner table, get him the Magic Floating Wine Bottle holder. The chain is manufactured such that it gives of the image of a bottle suspended in air. Of course it will hold only one bottle at a time.
Your dad has always ensured that you have a memorable birthday each year. It is only befitting that you do the same for him.
This article on getting your [http://www.marqartgiftshop.com/Gifts-for-Dad_c_57.html]dad birthday gifts that are quirky and unusual was written by Ruth D'Souza Prabhu of MarqART Gift Shop.
Our wood designs are original works of art, no two creations are the same. Each wood shown has its own unique wood grain pattern and color. MarqART comes from combining the words marquetry (wood inlay) + Art (a creation of beauty) an apt name for our products. A fine addition to your dressing table or as a gift.
For more [http://www.marqartgiftshop.com/Unique-Gifts_c_52.html]unique gifts, please visit marqartgiftshop.com.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Get-Dad-Birthday-Gifts-That-Are-Useful-and-Funny&id=6437955] Get Dad Birthday Gifts That Are Useful and Funny
Friday, December 2, 2011
Being A Good Father Is A Choice
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mike_O_Thompson]Mike O Thompson
As we grow up in life we are faced with many choices that we must make on a day-to-day basis. If you have fathered a child, being a good father is one of those choices.
Arnold J. Toynbee was quoted as saying; "As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is our responsibility."
Maybe becoming a father wasn't what you had planned at that point in your life, if ever. Maybe it was like what Bill Cosby said: "I guess the real reason that my wife and I had children is the same reason that Napoleon had for invading Russia: it seemed like a good idea at the time." Nevertheless, it happened!
So I must ask you: what makes you think that you have the right to bring a child into this world and just leave him/her out for someone else to raise, teach, mentor, nurture, and all the other things only a father can do?
As a father, you are the role model to the kind of man your daughter is going to look for when picking her husband.
As a father, you are the role model your son will likely emulate as he grows up.
No matter the circumstances of how you became a father, or what you think and or feel about the mom, once you have brought a child into the world, whether you and the mom are together or not, it is your responsibility to be a good parent to that child.
A child's memory of their dad should not be centered around what someone else has said about them. Wouldn't it be better for them to have first-hand knowledge of the type of man you are? Memories of you that no one can erase?
Even thought my dad died when I was 11 years old and was away a lot fighting in the Korean and Vietnam War, I still have some of my greatest memories of him. When he was home, Friday nights he would stay up with my sister and I and watch movies. We would wake up the next morning and watch cartoons together. He would take us on trips, sightseeing, carnivals, and sometimes just simply hang out with us. These are memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. These memories are a part of his legacy he left behind.
Mothers, unless you made this child all by yourself, what makes you think you have the right to keep the child away from a man that has done nothing that would bring any harm to the child?
Most mothers will even admit that children react differently when a man speaks then when she does. Men have that authoritative type voice. When a man tells a child to do something or not to do something, the reaction from a child is different. Even if you are a strong woman like my mom was it was still different when my dad told me to do something compared to my mom.
Moms and Dads: what kind of memories are you planting in your child's head? Dads: what kind of legacy are you leaving for your child? What do you want your child to say about you? Mothers: if you really love your child, do you really think it is right that they grow up without a father in their lives or memories of a man that you have painted a negative picture of?
In case you have not seen statistics on the affect on a fatherless child, here are just a few of them:
63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. (U.S. D.H.H.S - Bureau of Census)
71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. (National Principles Association Report on the state of high schools)
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
So you can see that no matter what anyone has led you to believe, the presence of a father in a child's life does matter! We hear all the time about how important a mother is in a child's life, and they are, but so are fathers!
Ask yourself, what kind of life long memories are you helping them to form? Keep in count that negative thoughts often bring on negative reactions and behaviors.
Both parents needs to always remember and think about just how much impact you have on your children.
Wouldn't you want to be in her life as a good father so she can see what a good father looks like? Or is it okay with you that she grows up to marry a man that treats her like she is less of a human being, his footstool, his maid, belittling her, hitting her, and so on. You know the type.
Being a father myself, I must agree with Bill Cosby when he said, "Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children."
I also must agree with Wilhelm Busch when he said, "Becoming a father is easy enough, but being one can be very rough."
No one ever said it would be easy. Being a good father IS a choice. What kind of father are you choosing to be?
Have you taken the easy road out or are you being there for you child?
In closing, Lois McMaster Bujold sums it up nicely when he said, "I am who I choose to be. I always have been what I chose - though not always what I pleased."
Mike Thompson
The Father's Show Resource Program
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Being-A-Good-Father-Is-A-Choice&id=6435471] Being A Good Father Is A Choice
As we grow up in life we are faced with many choices that we must make on a day-to-day basis. If you have fathered a child, being a good father is one of those choices.
Arnold J. Toynbee was quoted as saying; "As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is our responsibility."
Maybe becoming a father wasn't what you had planned at that point in your life, if ever. Maybe it was like what Bill Cosby said: "I guess the real reason that my wife and I had children is the same reason that Napoleon had for invading Russia: it seemed like a good idea at the time." Nevertheless, it happened!
So I must ask you: what makes you think that you have the right to bring a child into this world and just leave him/her out for someone else to raise, teach, mentor, nurture, and all the other things only a father can do?
As a father, you are the role model to the kind of man your daughter is going to look for when picking her husband.
As a father, you are the role model your son will likely emulate as he grows up.
No matter the circumstances of how you became a father, or what you think and or feel about the mom, once you have brought a child into the world, whether you and the mom are together or not, it is your responsibility to be a good parent to that child.
A child's memory of their dad should not be centered around what someone else has said about them. Wouldn't it be better for them to have first-hand knowledge of the type of man you are? Memories of you that no one can erase?
Even thought my dad died when I was 11 years old and was away a lot fighting in the Korean and Vietnam War, I still have some of my greatest memories of him. When he was home, Friday nights he would stay up with my sister and I and watch movies. We would wake up the next morning and watch cartoons together. He would take us on trips, sightseeing, carnivals, and sometimes just simply hang out with us. These are memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. These memories are a part of his legacy he left behind.
Mothers, unless you made this child all by yourself, what makes you think you have the right to keep the child away from a man that has done nothing that would bring any harm to the child?
Most mothers will even admit that children react differently when a man speaks then when she does. Men have that authoritative type voice. When a man tells a child to do something or not to do something, the reaction from a child is different. Even if you are a strong woman like my mom was it was still different when my dad told me to do something compared to my mom.
Moms and Dads: what kind of memories are you planting in your child's head? Dads: what kind of legacy are you leaving for your child? What do you want your child to say about you? Mothers: if you really love your child, do you really think it is right that they grow up without a father in their lives or memories of a man that you have painted a negative picture of?
In case you have not seen statistics on the affect on a fatherless child, here are just a few of them:
63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. (U.S. D.H.H.S - Bureau of Census)
71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. (National Principles Association Report on the state of high schools)
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
So you can see that no matter what anyone has led you to believe, the presence of a father in a child's life does matter! We hear all the time about how important a mother is in a child's life, and they are, but so are fathers!
Ask yourself, what kind of life long memories are you helping them to form? Keep in count that negative thoughts often bring on negative reactions and behaviors.
Both parents needs to always remember and think about just how much impact you have on your children.
Wouldn't you want to be in her life as a good father so she can see what a good father looks like? Or is it okay with you that she grows up to marry a man that treats her like she is less of a human being, his footstool, his maid, belittling her, hitting her, and so on. You know the type.
Being a father myself, I must agree with Bill Cosby when he said, "Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children."
I also must agree with Wilhelm Busch when he said, "Becoming a father is easy enough, but being one can be very rough."
No one ever said it would be easy. Being a good father IS a choice. What kind of father are you choosing to be?
Have you taken the easy road out or are you being there for you child?
In closing, Lois McMaster Bujold sums it up nicely when he said, "I am who I choose to be. I always have been what I chose - though not always what I pleased."
Mike Thompson
The Father's Show Resource Program
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Being-A-Good-Father-Is-A-Choice&id=6435471] Being A Good Father Is A Choice
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)