There are dads and then there are SuperDads. SuperDads are men who leave a lasting impression on their children and their children’s children, men who go above and beyond the call of duty and go down as legends in their families’ eyes. I believe every father has an inner SuperDad. If you haven’t tapped into yours, worry no more! These three steps will help you unlock the SuperDad within.
1. Create a vision for your family.
As men, we are hunters — it’s just part of our DNA. We go after the best job, the best car, the best watch, etc. We often create vision boards and strategies in order to obtain these things, but have you done the same for your family? It is important to cast a vision for your family — dream up the type of house you want to live in, the type of energy you want to feel when you walk through the door, how you want your children to treat others, and what you want life to look like after the kids are gone. Creating and casting this vision for your family will give you something to strive towards as a unit and also give you a track to run on as a family — as opposed to floating through life aimlessly hoping for the best. Maintaining a happy family takes vision, strategy, and hard work.
2. Be the thermostat, not the thermometer.
A thermometer simply reacts to the environment around it. It does not work to change the temperature of the room in order for the room to be more comfortable but instead reacts to the information it collects. On the other hand, a thermostat does the work to set the temperature of the room to a desirable level. If the room gets too hot or cold, the thermostat will adjust accordingly in order to keep the room at a comfortable temperature. In the same way, you must be the thermostat of your home. Don’t wait for your wife or children to bring the right energy into the environment — be proactive about facilitating the positive energy. When faced with conflict, be ready and willing to make the necessary adjustments in order to keep the temperature of your home at the desired level, cool and comfortable.
3. Dive into your child’s world.
We all want our children to follow our footsteps and enjoy the things that we enjoy, but a majority of the time that isn’t how things turn out. Please don’t be the dad that forces your kid into a sport hoping they will live out your unfulfilled dream — no one likes that dad. Instead find out what your child is passionate about and/or naturally good at, and give that your undivided attention. I’ve worked with children for the past seven years, and nothing makes a kid light up more than when I am willing to listen to or participate in the thing they are most passionate about. Diving into your child’s world might not be the most fun thing to do at first, but I am confident that you will never regret it.
Our world is depending on SuperDads like you fighting to make the world a better place one snotty-nosed kiddo at a time. Keep loving and leading your family; you are powerful and important!
Anthony “Greatness” Cotton is a motivational speaker, dancer and author of the children’s book “I’ll Be Here”. He is on a mission to remind fathers of how important it is for them to be PRESENT and ENGAGED in their children’s lives. Learn more about Anthony by vising www.anthonycotton.com
