Role Model | Fatherhood Factor

Society is changing, and along with that comes the roles and responsibilities within the household. It used to be that dads went to work and brought home the bacon while mom stayed home making sure everything was in its place and tending to the needs of the children. Now, moms are making headway in the corporate world and dads are taking a more active and hands-on approach to raising their children. The dynamic shift can be great for your children. They now have the love, affection, and care of both parents which helps them to be more well-rounded individuals.

Part of being in your kids’ lives more, however, means setting the right example. Whether you know it or not, your children are looking at you as an example of who they should be and how they should act in life. Having a more prevalent presence in their lives means watching your actions and making adjustments that more effectively show your children what it means to be a positive adult. To be the awesome dad and someone your children admire, consider these actions to become a better role model.

Kill Negative Behaviors

Drinking, partying, using drugs, lots of people do it as a form of “release”. However, if these addictive behaviors get out of hand, it could lead to addiction. As addiction is a family disease that can impact not only you but the health and well-being of your family, it is probably best that you stop such negative activities. It doesn’t mean you can’t go out to the bar for a few drinks with the guys, but if you’re partying days are starting to outshine your role as a father, you may need to get help from sources like hotelcaliforniabythesea.com to kick the habits and get back on the right path.

Take Care of Yourself

There’s this weird misconception that guys are pretty unkempt human beings. That if it weren’t for the women in their lives, they’d probably never shower or clean up a day in their lives. As false as this is, you don’t want your children to get caught up in it. They should see you taking care of yourself regularly. From showering and shaving to participating in social activities and having down time to yourself. Self-care will be imperative to them throughout life and you can show them how it’s done.

Tend to Your Relationship

Whether you are with your children’s mother or not, it is imperative that your kids see you engaging in positive and healthy relationships. This means being supportive of your spouse, resolving conflict in a positive manner, and showing your affectionate side. If you’re not together, you should still be supportive of their efforts, be able to handle conflict amicably, and show that you can get along for the common goal of raising your children as co-parents.

Pick Up a Hobby

Dads shouldn’t be all work and no play, your kids need to understand having a healthy balance between the two. You can be a great role model by picking up a hobby or two and indulging on occasion. Who knows, your hobbies could be something that your children are interested in which would give you the perfect opportunity to educate them and bond.

Don’t be Afraid to Show Emotion

Here’s a hard one for some dads. Men are often taught to swallow their emotions or to only deal in two emotions happiness and anger. Your children need to see different. They need to see that it is okay to express yourself, no matter what those emotions are. Don’t be afraid to let them see you show affection, get sad on an emotional movie, or even being upset. Knowing that you can have feelings and move past those emotions constructively is a lesson they’ll need throughout life.

Your kids need positive people they can look up to. It is essentially how they navigate life at such as young age. As their father, you are often one of the first adults they encounter. They watch your every move and hang on your every word. If you want to provide them with the best foundation possible, being a positive role model yourself is a great place to start.

Dads tend to get the rough end of the stick. They’re expected to bring in all or most of the income, pay for the bills and the fun, help out with household chores, fix whatever breaks and still make time to spend with their families.

So how can you have fun and become a better role model? It’s easy – pick up a hobby or two. Sharing a hobby with your kids not only brings you closer together, it shows them what a father (and husband) should be.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our top 5 hobbies that help you become a better role model!

Cars & Automotive

Cars as a hobby? Sounds expensive, right? It doesn’t have to bite into your wallet, however. And it can offer some real-world learning that will help your kids as they get older.

Find an old clunker (with a title), and fix it up as you can. Teach your kids about how to fix and restore cars, what the parts do, and how to do basic repairs (like changing a tire). If you want to make it extra special and spark an interest in it, let your kids know that when they’re 16/18/21, the car will be theirs.

While it may seem like the sort of thing some kids wouldn’t be in to, a few “lessons” it will show them that it’s a good way to get to know you, save some cash on car repairs, and make an investment in their own futures.

Electronics & Tech

This is an easier sell to today’s kids, who are already pretty wrapped up in electronics. However, teaching them how to build super and gaming computers, fix broken phones, and upgrade other consumer electronics can be a very rewarding hobby.

Plus it shows off how useful a seemingly “boring” hobby can be. Since this is a very popular market, you can easily find cheap build-your-own options, like the Raspberry Pi.

DIY & Woodworking

True, handling dangerous power tools like circular saws may seem intimidating, but this DIY hobby is a great way to teach your kids both responsibility and the reward of hard work.

This DIY hobby can be something as small as whittling kits you pick up from hobby stores for $20, birdhouses and tool cases, or as extravagant as large art pieces and furniture.

If you’re a beginner yourself, stores like Harbor Freight sells tools at a fraction of the price of other stores – but don’t expect them to last forever. Home Depot and Lowes are great for intermediate – expert supplies.

Owning a Collection

This is probably the most versatile hobby on the list. Owning a collection may seem “iffy” when you have kids, but the truth is it can help your kids learn about the subjective value of items, respect for others’ items, and how to invest (if applicable to your collection).

If your collection happens to lean toward obscure books or comics, you can also make learning to read (or reading in general) fun.

Squarefoot Gardening

Square foot gardening is a wonderful way to teach self-sufficiency and responsibility. It also allows your children to see their foods’ life cycle from soil to plate. It also helps to emphasize the “a father provides” mentality. In addition to all of that, it can also help to save on your grocery bill.

While any gardening hobby would be awesome – square foot gardening can be done even in very small yards and apartments.

There are lots of ways to be a great role model to your kids, these are just our favorites for their practicality and usefulness. It’s a fun and unique way to bond with your kids while providing for them and helping them learn great lifelong endeavors.

Dad Tips: Ways to Be a Better Role Model for Your Children