My Dad passed back in 1998...

Wish I had knew him better..

 

I love the song (forget the name) But goes something like I wish I knew my father in his living years.

My dad and I where kind of on the outs just before he died ( I was younger back in 92 and strong willed) I spent hours at his bedside just 8 hours before he passed. We talked, held hands and really connected.

My advise for you guys/gals that have a not-so-good relationship with your dad is at least try to put a hand out to reach for him. Once they are gone it is too late. I will cherish those last hours with dad forever.


found it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGDA0Hecw1k

 

^^IMO that is the best advice.^^

 

I miss my dad all the time too. I have had a few things to deal with the last couple of years that I wish I had him around for advice. I also think he would have really loved the Monte Carlo and wanted to drive it all the time. I am glad I had all my kids and they were all old enough to know and remember him.

I will spend time with my father in law and my kids on sunday and have a great day sharing in memories and on time past.

 

I love my dad we talk every day. We are going to tear apart my dart swinger and do a bottom up restoration/mod. I work father's day but I plan on taking him to outback steakhouse on friday. We both love steak and what better way to say your awesome then a big juicy steak. All my dad had to do to discipline me when I was younger was say i'm disappointed in you and it hurt worse then a backhand from mom. Even when I was doing stupid things like sneaking out of high school to be with older women, almost failing out of my first year of college, or wrecking his truck, all he did was say I'm disappointed in you and it never happened again.

 

How to Be a Good Father

Member's, please add your comments on how to be a good Father ? Thank You!
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Be the father your children admire and love.



You already know that it takes a lot to be a good parent, but there are many ways in which you can be a good father in particular.

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1. 
   
   
   
   
   Hey, I can have my own fun, too.
   
   Have fun. Fatherhood is a big responsibility but it is also a lot of fun. Show your kids that you enjoy being their father.
   
   
   
   
   
2. 2
   
   
   
   
   
   Bonding Time
   
   Spend time with and take responsibility for your children. Some fathers miss opportunities to spend time with their kids because they have competing responsibilities or interests. However, once the opportunity has passed, it's gone and you can't get it back. If you don't establish an intimacy with your children when they're young, it'll be difficult to catch up when they're older and still need your help and support.
3. 3
   
   
   
   
   
   Be a teacher by both word and example.
   
   Be a teacher by both word and example. Children need to be taught right from wrong and will need to see it demonstrated by their father. Make decisions in front of them and explain to them why you came to that resolution. Talk to them about choices you made in the past and why they did (or didn't) work out. Evaluate all of your own decisions by thinking: "What would I want my child to do in this situation?" Teach your children that it is okay to make mistakes. Everyone makes them. You do and they will too. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and try to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.
4. 4
   
   
   
   
   
   Show affection.
   
   Show affection. Some men may be uncomfortable with offering their children affection and communicating their love. Being affectionate with your child shows them that you love them. It also teaches them to show affection to others.
5. 5
   
   
   
   
   
   Respect your children's mother.
   
   Respect your children's mother. Mutual respect between a child's parents is important whether or not the parents are married to one another. Children will mimic their parents' behavior. How you treat your child's mother will influence the way in which the child will view his or her own role when they become parents. Do not be afraid to stand up for your own views as a parent. They are equally as important and valuable as those of the child's mother who may or may not spend more time with the child. Make parenting a partnership, be on the same page about how to discipline and reward your child and be consistent.
6. 6
   
   
   
   
   
   A little less confusing...but on the right track...
   
   Don't Place Unreasonable Expectations on Your Children. A child's life can be filled with pressures, from siblings to kids at school to teachers to coaches. Help your child understand their desires and assess their capabilities and limitations. Help them set achievable goals. Encourage them to meet their full potential but avoid living vicariously through them by expecting them to achieve what you had achieved or hoped to have achieved.
7. 7
   Don't Place Unreasonable Expectations on Yourself. You are an important person in your child's development but many other people and things will influence their development and growth. Just as you can't take credit for all of your child's strengths you also shouldn't shoulder the blame for their weaknesses.
8. 8
   
   
   
   
   
   More jobs than this? Yup.
   
   Realize that a father's job is never done. Do not assume that once your children turn 21, or they have a college degree, that your work raising them is done. Although it is important to encourage your children to become financially and emotionally independent, it is also important to let them know that you care and are always there for them and that they are valued.
   
   
   
   
   

 

My dad is awesome because even thought he didnt notice it I saw how much he sacrificed for us.
He would randomly have a different gun then usual for hunting season sometimes. He would say he "traded" his gun, but he really sold it to keep food on the table and borrowed a friends.
He sold his 53 chevy pickup when I was 4 because I got sick and he needed to pay hospital bills. When we saw it at a car show he almost cried.
He is always there when I need him.
He somehow knew the stupid things I was going to do befor I did them.
He worked 40-60 hours a week and still managed to make it to every football game and practice for 12 years.
I already said it but somehow he made me work hard my whole life just so I could impress him and make him proud. All he had to do is say he was disappointed and I never made that mistake again.
If I ever have kids I want to be at least half the dad my dad is.

 

The O'Kanes did a song the title is "Daddies Need To Grow Up Too" which describes me as a dad. I have lousy parental role models and learned by my mistakes. I love my dad but as I have posted here we have a toxic dis functional relationship. Considering that I am fifty years old myself I doubt it will ever change. My dad Is in jail which is probably the best place for him. He probably would have been there much sooner if he had started treating strangers the same way he treated his family. I guess he waited until his seventies to do that. My moms advice is get over it. Been the same advice for over twenty years now.

This is what I have learned about being a good dad:

Never be to busy to listen to your significant other or your kids

Never be too big to listen to your kids. You may be the adult but they are people too. Listening doesn't make them right, but it is important to them and to you that you know their point of view.

Be their parent not their friend.

Don't be afraid to show emotion both in good times and bad. It isn't the end of the world if your kids see you shed a tear. It also isn't the end of the world if they see you show love.

Treat your kids the way that you would want to be treated. You can still discipline with love and respect.

Don't be selfish and remember what you do affects more than just you. Children are children for a relatively short period of time and they deserve a childhood.

Teach responsibility and moral character. Teach financial matters, how to treat a life partner, and how to take care of one self. If your son or daughter can't cook, do laundry, keep house, then they will look for a mother to care for them rather than a life partner. Experience talking there.

Learn from your mistakes and admit when you make one and say your sorry. It teaches forgiveness.

I didn't post to the survey because nothing really applied. I really wish my dad could have been the dad I turned into. At least I know that I created a better childhood for my kids than I had and my kids are not the same basket cases in their twenties that I was trying to figure out why things don't work.