Lessons for My Son From His Dad

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Father’s Day has been celebrated for over 100 years and even though, like moms, they should be celebrated every day, I am glad we have a day where we can celebrate them. I know every family has different circumstances and there are many homes that for different reasons are missing a father. I have been blessed to have an excellent father, loving grandfathers, several good male role models and a husband that does a lot for us. In the two years he’s been a father I’ve been able to pinpoint a few lessons he has taught and continues to teach our son on a daily basis:

  • To love God and to love others – This is a must in our family but for me this is easier said than done. Not for my husband. As the spiritual leader of our house, he walks this truth every day and he also makes sure our two-year-old is living it. He prays with him and for him, he shows him love every single day, and he shows him how to love others by loving me and others around him. As he continues to grow I know he will keep building into him as much as he possibly can so he knows what love looks and acts like.
  • The value of hard work – My husband started working when he was 14 and hasn’t stopped. He worked hard in school, during summer breaks, in college and after college. He shows our son what it looks like to wake up every day and do the best you can for yourself, your family and others. He also models this by having our son help him with some small chores around the house like putting toys away, picking up sticks in the yard, or pulling small weeds.
  • The gift of good manners – We both believe in good manners, kindness, and in knowing how to behave in different places and situations. He makes sure that our son says his please, thank you, and bless you. He makes sure he is behaving correctly at home and outside our home and he’s really good at modeling this behavior to him.
  • The nobility of respect – Like all the previous lessons this one is also super important in our family. We love each other very much but we also respect each other very much and he models this for our son. He shows him respect as his son, shows him respect as my husband and shows him how to respect others regardless of how similar or different from us they might seem. He’s a fair believer that we treat others with dignity and respect. Teaching him not to hit others or to take care of his toys on the floor are very simple ways that he does this. He also models it by treating others, outside our home, with the same kindness and respect.
  • How to treat a woman – He’s really good at it and I promise I am not biased because I’m his wife. I can tell our son how to treat women but his dad shows him with his action. He treats his grandmother with as much delicacy as he would treat a flower and he would do anything for his mom. This goes beyond the chivalry of opening doors or taking his coat and giving it to me if I am cold. It is paying attention to me when I talk, complimenting me, making time for me and our relationship and telling me that he loves me. When he does all these things, he’s showing our son how he should treat not only me but all the women in his life.

There are many other things our son will learn from his dad and other men in his life. Some will be shared with me and some will be specific to other people that will build into him. I am looking forward to seeing how he matures and grows into the man God has made him to be. To all those male role models out there: thank you for being part of the village raising our children!

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