The Kind of Man I am
Traits of the Ideal Dad
We are going to build a dad from the ground up. Not just any dad, but the ideal dad. A dad you may want to consider as a model.
If I asked you to give me a list of traits you think an ideal dad possesses, what would you say?
Following is a list of dad traits I’ve gathered from various resources including the students in my Fatherhood classes. This is not a complete list, but It’s a good place to start building the ideal dad. It’s a good way to examine “The Kind of Man I Am.”
- Present
- Respects mom
- Leads by example
- Slow to anger
- Kind
- Patient
- Trustworthy
- Honest
- Dependable
- Playful
- Shows unconditional love
- Drug free
- Sober
- Physically healthy – eats healthy, avoids consuming anything unhealthy, exercises
- Mentally healthy – puts good things into his mind and leaves bad things alone
- Morally clean
- Shows appreciation
- Encourages
- Listens
- Problem-solves with family members
- Apologizes when necessary
- Forgives
- Helps and serves
- Gives hugs
- Continually learning
Do you have to have all these traits to be an ideal dad?
If not, which ones can you do without?
Can you add to the list?
Right now, these traits are just words on a display.
The purpose for this list is so you can work at improving the traits you think need improving.
For example:
Take the first trait: “Present.” Are you present both physically and mentally for your children? Where are you on a scale of 1-10? If you are below a 9, then you can improve.
Your homework is to choose a trait you need to improve on, and improve on it. Write the trait on a sticky-note and stick it on your bathroom mirror. Work on improving that trait. When you feel good about the improvement that you’ve made, choose another trait and repeat the process. Keep this up until you have improved on all the traits you think need improving.