• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Because dads don’t always think like moms™

  • Dad
    • Celebrities
    • Gay Dads
    • Sex
    • Single Dads
  • Pregnancy
    • Labor or Delivery
    • Pregnant Wife
  • Baby
    • Baby Naming
    • Feeding
    • Sleep
    • Toilet Training
  • Kids
  • Teens
  • Activities
    • Local
    • By Age
    • Movie Reviews
    • Celebrations
  • Toys
    • We Recommend
    • Toys
  • Coaching for Dads
  • Great Dad Talks Podcast
You are here: Home / Father / Five life lessons dads can teach their kids

Five life lessons dads can teach their kids

April 30, 2010 by Paul Banas Leave a Comment

As kids move out of 100% mommy mode, dads play an ever more vital role. More and more research show that dads are vital to kids’ development. Here are some life lessons that we all had to learn sooner or later. Now’s the time for dad to get out the blackboard and start teaching.

1. You can’t succeed without trying. Or the corollary: FOCUS! This is a hard one, especially for little kids, but you should sow the seeds early by repeating that what looks easy usually comes from hours and years of hard work. Reinforce slow steps to learning big things. That’s why sports and music are good training grounds for kids because they see how you develop building blocks to greater mastery. Try to avoid messages that might give them the idea that success is usually just about luck. Even if you believe there’s a grain of truth to that in the big picture, few people are in the position to take advantage of luck if they aren’t prepared for it.

2. You’re important, but so are other people. Empathy is hard to teach, but you can suggest things to your child so that he looks at a situation from another person’s vantage point. Just by asking, “How do you think that makes him feel?” after a playground incident is better than just some random discipline. Of course, it’s better to have this discussion at other times. Try using it around the dinner table when you’re talking about normal events. You may be surprised at how your child looks at the experiences of other people.

3. Big words show strength, not weakness. In our long spiral downward in education, one more thing that has been devalued is vocabulary. Big words don’t just mean pretentiousness, they are the building blocks for big ideas. Sure, we all know people who use a big word when a short one says the same thing, but good communication skills involve knowing how to use and understand a broader vocabulary. A recent study in the Journal of Applied Development and Psychology says that in families with two working parents, dads have a greater impact on children’s language development than moms. Kids will build bigger vocabularies if you use big words. Never dumb down your speech for your child.P1000498.JPG

4. Commitments are important. No kid should ever have to take ballet lessons for 18 years because of a decision made in nursery school. However, if an activity that sounded good at the beginning sours after a few lessons, it’s still important to keep on going to keep the original commitment. Don’t let your kids move from thing to thing based on the whim of the moment. This in turn, will help them learn to think through promises and decisions before making them, knowing that actions have consequences. The same goes for other other types of commitments including school lessons and thank you cards. It’s often easier for parents to let things slide especially when many projects involve mom and dad doing half the work. In these cases, it’s up to dad to consider the long term lessons of escaping the consequences.

5. Crying never solved any problem. Babies cry for a reason; because they can’t communicate what they want and need. Without resorting to calling your child a baby, make sure he or she understands that tantrums don’t work for achieving results. This is a hard lesson for harried moms and dads to learn, since tantrums can be embarrassing when used effectively. However, you can teach your child that the time for communicating through crying is over by being patient and not giving in to the immediate demand. Tantrum behavior can be “unlearned” after repeated and consistent non-reinforcing behavior. If they do not, you should talk to your pediatrician.

Filed Under: Father, GreatDad Blog

About Paul Banas

Paul Banas is happy married dad of two great kids living in San Francisco. He writes now about kids, new technology and how the two interact for GreatDad.com and for Pregnancy Magazine (pregnancymagazine.com) where he is also the publisher.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks
Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

Audio Player
147. Discovering Dad’s Purpose with Adam Landrum
Great Dad Talks
147. Discovering Dad’s Purpose with Adam Landrum
Welcome to another episode of Great Dad Talks! ️ In this episode, I sit down with Adam Landrum,[...]
  • 0.8
  • 1
  • 1.2
  • 1.5
  • 2
Download
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Copy episode link Copied
  • Download
Captions
00:00
00:00
147. Discovering Dad’s Purpose with Adam Landrum
byPaul Banas

Welcome to another episode of Great Dad Talks! ️ In this episode, I sit down with Adam Landrum, a coach specializing in helping men find purpose and fulfillment in the second half of their lives. Together, we dive into the challenges of modern fatherhood, the existential questions that arise during midlife, and the importance of finding purpose both in parenting and career. Adam shares insightful stories about his own journey as a father of four and offers valuable advice to dads navigating similar paths. Whether you’re a new dad or you’re looking to redefine your purpose as an experienced parent, this episode is packed with wisdom and practical tips.

Check out Adam’s website at www.madetomatter.coach

Visit these links and embark on the path to becoming the best parent you can be:

– GreatDad.com/coaching 

– GreatDad.com/pq 

– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC  

50% off for podcast listeners with code PODCAST50

147. Discovering Dad’s Purpose with Adam Landrum
May 27, 2025
Paul Banas
146. Balancing Business and Family with Dr. Travis Parry
May 20, 2025
Paul Banas
145. Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus
May 13, 2025
Paul Banas
144. Exploring Mindful Fatherhood with Odeani Mc Bean
May 6, 2025
Paul Banas
143. Overcoming Dad Burnout with Scott Anderson
April 29, 2025
Paul Banas
142. Building Resilient Kids with Dr. Richard Oelberger
April 24, 2025
Paul Banas
141. Exploring Men’s Sexual Health with Dr. Elliot Justin
April 22, 2025
Paul Banas
140. Instilling Values and Financial Literacy with Barclay Roper
April 15, 2025
Paul Banas
139. Adaptive Cooking Tools and Techniques with Douglas Katz
April 8, 2025
Paul Banas
138. Exploring Masculinity and Men’s Groups with Jason Lange
April 1, 2025
Paul Banas
Search Results placeholder

More to See

Balancing Business and Family with Dr. Travis Parry

May 20, 2025 By Paul Banas

Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus

May 21, 2025 By Paul Banas

Copyright © 2025 . GreatDad