Qualities of a great Dad

Being a Dad is a tough job but it can be one of the most rewarding a man will have. Father's can be one of the greatest positive influences in a child's life, here are just some of the ways:

Listening
There is no better feeling as a Dad than to walk through the door at the end of a tough day and have kids run at you screaming 'Daddy's home'. Their eyes light up as they tell you all about their day: who they played with, what they did and everything in between. The most disappointing thing for them to hear is: 'Hang on a minute, Daddy needs to watch the news'.

A great Dad listens to his kids. It makes them feel important and loved. It is also helpful for Dads because the more you listen, the more you learn about your children. You get to understand what is important in their world. Let's face it, men aren't noted for great listening skills. It is not always easy to listen when you have a lot going on in your own life, but really listening to your kids is a great way to build a closer relationship.

Using time wisely
We live in an incredibly busy and competitive world. It seems as though there is never enough time. Despite the talk of work-life balance the expectations in our workplaces have never been higher. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we are working this hard to give our kids a better life but would the kids benefit more if we scaled back at work a bit?

A great Dad makes intentional decisions about how he balances his time to ensure that he can spend as much time as possible with his kids. It can be really hard to strike a balance and it comes back to priorities. Kids usually just want to spend time with their Dad.

Encouraging
The old saying from childhood 'sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me' is not true when it comes to Dads. Our words are incredibly powerful. We can use our words in positive ways to build confidence in our kids or we can use words that tear them down. Continued...