How to Be a Good Father

How to Be a Good Father: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow/**/var WH = WH || {};WH.lang = WH.lang || {};button_swap = button_unswap = function(){};WH.exitTimerStartTime = (new Date()).getTime();WH.mergeLang = function(A){for(i in A){v=A[i];if(typeof v==='string'){WH.lang[i]=v;}}}; Sign Up or Log In or Log In via

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Pin ItArticle EditDiscussBeing a parent isn't easy, so here are some reminders to help you be a better father.

Edit Steps1Have fun. Fatherhood is a very big responsibility but it is also a lot of fun. Show your kids that you enjoy being their father.

2Schedule time to spend with 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 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.3Be a teacher by both word and example. 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.

4Show 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.

5Respect 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. Make parenting a partnership, be on the same page about how to discipline and reward your child and be consistent.

6Don'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.7Don'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.8Realize 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.

Edit TipsAlways listen to your kids.Be patient on everything that you do for your kids.The goal in disciplining your child is to show them that their behavior is inappropriate and unacceptable. The use of force is seldom, if ever, necessary to achieve that goal, regardless of the child's age. Often, other approaches, such as depriving the child of something they value, can prove more effective over time, while preserving the child's self esteem and the child's respect for you as a parent. Teaching a child right from wrong is a process. Methods of discipline that appear to achieve short-term results may have unintended negative consequences over the long run.Take their ages into account. Two and three year olds, for instance, don't necessarily respond to much of your disciplining. Reach down deep for patience.

Edit Related wikiHowsHow to Be a Good ParentHow to Prepare for the Arrival of a Newborn As a FatherHow to Keep up With Your Internet Savvy KidsHow to Take Children FishingHow to Handle Your Child's Temper TantrumHow to Be a Good StepfatherHow to Teach Your Child About BudgetingHow to Guide Your Teenager Along the Right Paths in LifeArticle Info Featured Article

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