In this episode, guest Sherman Perryman, an entrepreneur and fitness coach, discusses how to build resilience within your family. Tune in for an inspiring conversation filled with practical tips and heartwarming stories.

In this episode, you will be able to:

1. Understand the entrepreneurial spirit.
2. Structure routines to help children develop predictability and responsibility.
3. Use rewards and consequences to effectively motivates good behavior and accountability.
4. Know the values you want to impart to help in guiding your children towards resilience and responsibility.
5. Build resilience in various aspects of life.

Welcome back to Great Dad Talks podcast, where we explore insightful stories and practical advice to help fathers build resilience in themselves and their families. In this episode, I sat down with Sherman Perryman, an entrepreneur and father who shared his journey of discipline and entrepreneurship, from his childhood experiences to his own parenting style. Let’s dive right in.

From Cookies to Confidence

• Sherman’s path to resilience and entrepreneurship started early, growing up in a family deeply rooted in entrepreneurial spirit. “I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, and, I was born in the eighties in LA. My parents had 5 kids before the age of 30. They created a cookie business, and we had to sell cookies at church.”
• Sherman reminisced about how selling cookies after church fostered a competitive spirit among his siblings. The reward-driven environment didn’t just put food on the table but also planted the seed of value exchange within him.
• From there, Sherman transitioned to selling candy in middle school. This hustle cultivated an early sense of independence and confidence. “I love the fact that I could go out there and make money on my own. It all depended on how hard I wanted to work.”

Discipline from an Early Age

Sherman attributes a significant portion of his discipline to his father, a military vet, who instilled a rigorous work ethic in him and his siblings.

“I didn’t have the typical childhood. I didn’t wake up and watch Saturday morning cartoons. There was no such thing. We didn’t even eat breakfast until like 1 or 3 o’clock. It was all about work, work, work.”

While he confesses to not wanting to replicate this exact regimen for his own children, Sherman acknowledges the lasting impact this discipline had on him.

Raising Resilient Kids: Sherman’s Approach

As a father of four, Sherman is very conscious of building resilience and discipline in his kids in a balanced way.

Structured Routine

Sherman believes in a disciplined yet structured daily regimen:

– Bath before dinner: “As soon as they get home, take a bath. If you wanna eat, take a bath, put on your pajamas, and let’s go.”

– Early bedtimes: “At 7:30, all go to bed.”

– Homework and school discipline: “Discipline with their homework, discipline in school.”

Incentives and Rewards

Sherman integrates a reward system into his parenting strategy:

– Gaming limitations: “If you wanna play these video games, which is now restricted for the weekends only, you have to make sure that you not hit these things.”

– Rewarding good behavior: “If you keep doing good, you’re gonna be rewarded… No surprise for you. Okay. We’re not going anywhere. You’re not going to the party. Cause that’s almost a reward for them.”

Real-World Lessons

Sherman’s approach also includes teaching resilience by connecting actions to real-world consequences.

– Swimming lessons example: Sherman shared how he took away his daughter’s phone to push her to learn swimming through YouTube tutorials: “The next day, she learned how to swim, and she’s hopping in the pool. I’m like, this is what I had to do to break her mentality a little bit.”

Advice for Dads Seeking to Build Resilience

At the heart of our discussion, Sherman offered invaluable advice for fathers striving to instill resilience in their kids.

Think About the End Goal

Sherman emphasizes the importance of having an end goal in mind:

– “Think about how you want your kids to be. You want them to be great citizens, honest, hard workers. You want them to have a family one day.”

Maintain Focus on Values

Sherman highlights the need to consciously impart values:

– “That’s one of the biggest jobs that I have is just being a father. I want them to be successful because I know if they’re unsuccessful, I’m gonna hurt.”

Join us next time on Great Dad Talks as we continue to explore strategies and stories that help build stronger families. Remember, resilience starts at home.