How Connected Are You with Your Child

 Read each question carefully and be honest in your answers. After you have finished then evaluate where you are and where you need to go from here.

Do you know any of your child’s friends?

 I do not know a single one. I see my child hang out with other kids, but I do not know them or their names.(   )

I know my child’s best friend, but I’m not that familiar with the other kids they hang with. (   )

I make a point to know the friends in my child’s life. I know their names and I have met their parents.

(   )

What is your child’s favorite band?

 The Rolling Stones? I have no idea! Today’s music just confuses me. (   )

I see the posters all over my child’s room, and I hear music down the hall, but I really don’t pay much attention. (   )

It’s not my kind of music, but I know what my child is in to. I listen to the lyrics and the message presented. I’m very careful about what I let my child be exposed to. (   )

Do you know any of your child’s teachers?

 No. I’m busy with my work and I consider education the responsibility of my child. Just bring home A’s.

(   )

I went to orientation at the start of the school year, but have not been engaged since then. I could name a couple probably. (   )

Yes. I attend orientation and parent/teacher conferences, and I follow the progress of my child online.(  )

Do you know your child’s worries?

 I could only guess. We don’t usually talk about things like that. (   )

I think I have an idea but it’s hard to get my child to open up. (   )

Yes. We talk on a regular basis about concerns and things that might be troubling. (   )

Do you know if your child has a boyfriend/girlfriend?

 I am not aware. I can’t bear the thought of knowing. (   )

 I hear them talk about it, but I never ask details. (   )

 Yes I know. It’s very important to me to have that knowledge. (   )

Do you know what your child does online?

 No. Who has time to keep up with that? (   )

 We have talked about certain websites and about safety, but other than that I let them have their freedom. (   )

 Yes. I do my very best to know my child’s online activity. (   )

Do you know your child’s gifts and nurture them?

 I just want them to be like all the other kids. (   )

 I know my son/daughter has special talents, but I’m not real sure what they are. (   )

 Yes I do and I allow them the opportunity to develop and express them. (   )

Are you aware of your child’s bad habits?

 My child is perfect, thank goodness. (   )

 I notice them, but nobody is perfect and I just accept it. (   )

 Yes and I work with my child in those areas to help them improve. (   )

Have a productive day with your family…

6 Variables that a Successful Father Formula Has to Have

1.     Sense of Humor and a Short Memory

Anyone that has been a father for a lengthy period of time can tell you that a sense of humor is certainly required to get through the trials and tribulations in a family. You had better be able to laugh together, and especially at yourself. When it comes to trouble, keep a short memory; lose the grudges and smile.

2.     Conflict and Tension

Say what? That’s right, most healthy dads will tell you that it requires periods of conflict and tension in order to balance the family relationship. Like steam escaping from a pot so the pot does not explode. Conflict and tension also serve a role in everyday family relationships as well. Love only grows stronger when it has endured a storm.

3.     Open Communication

One of the deadliest poisons to a home is when the family has stopped talking. When a family has a lack of communication, it leads to suspicion and suspicion leads to stress and worse. A fathers job is that he  should be able to make sharing openly as a life style in the home, and through open sharing with each other it will help the family navigate through life together successfully.

4.     Teammates and Partners

Going hand and hand with communication is the spirit of teamwork and partnership. A father should help to balance the best traits of each person in the family just as a coach would do with a team. Great teams play to each member’s strengths. The same applies in the family.

5.     Rock Solid Trust

Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. It must be held as sacred. None among us are perfect and we will make our mistakes, but in a successful family, trust must not be broken and without trust in each other in the family, it brings about weakness in the family foundation (trust me this is an area that has to be worked on continually – thus a fathers job is never done) as the father you must show that you have their back and they have yours; never allow anything to come between it. Dads, guard your heart and teach your spouse and your children how to guard theirs.

6.     Positive Compatibility

 In order to establish an environment where a family can reach full potential, it is essential we teach our families traits and values that produce growth. The family has to actually like being with and apart of each other, and not just family but friends as well. They need to share the same hopes and dreams. Remember, the goal is to build  a legacy that will carry on even after you are long gone.

Well dads we have got a lot of work to do. Please help me as I will do the same for you.

There are certain bridges that are not worth crossing, no matter what others think. Loyalty and relationships are important.