My wife is pregnant!! So I ask all of you, besides love and acceptance...?

Question

What is the greatest thing a father can give to his child?

I have already been working out, getting ripped because I want my child to see physical fitness as a regular activity, like cleaning your room, brushing your teeth...
We eat no junk in my house so thats set...

What lesson would you have wanted to hear from your father? What example could he have/did set?

Answer 1

Congratulations! Man, this kid is so lucky.

The most important lesson a kid can have is independence. It is good that you are going to be instilling good habits early on, but make sure the kid understands why those habits are important. Take the time to explain the why, and not just order them around and say because I said so. Make sure that they know how to do laundry, cook, keep a clean house, pay taxes, do minor car repairs, fix mistakes with insuance companies over the phone, and build good credit.

I am nineteen, and I am so glad that I have been taught all these things, I feel so ready to take on the world.

Answer 2

the most important thing a father can do is give his child time. spending quality time with a child makes them not only feel loved and accepted, it helps them to trust, to care about other people. children watch the example of their father.
my dad wasnt always around when i was a kid, and now he's trying to make up for lost time, but the hard feelings are still there...had he spent time with me as a child i would have been a more secure woman. though i cant place all the blame on him bc he worked a lot so we could have nice things...but children want more than anything-time and attention from their parents.

here's a link that has a lot of info. from studies that were done on what children need from parents...hope this helps:)
sounds like you'll be a great parent!

Answer 3

First of all congrats! I personally cannot wait for the day I have the honor of being a father.

The biggest thing is just investing time and love into the child. You do that, a lot of the other things will fall into place.

Also, try to stay away from the philosophy of, "Do what I say and not what I do."

Try to make it so the verbal 'rules' you give are as often as possible what you live your own life by. Obviously, there are times where this is not possible (because it is an adult thing versus a kid thing).

I know for myself though, that just my dad and grandfathers being there and spending time with me, (in fun ways and growing ways like helping me learn about different facets of life) was the greatest gift they could ever give me.

Good luck with fatherhood and God bless!
M

Answer 4

My dad and I had a wonderful relationship until the day he passed away. Even though he worked hours that kept him away in the evenings, we always had our special day, usually Saturday, where he and I would go to the park where I could ride the pony's, or visit the zoo or a museum, or maybe go to a ball game. The one thing that I remember the most was his great sense of humor. Nothing was ever so bad that he couldn't make my mom, brother and I find a smile. Doing physical activities as a family is a great way to instill healthy choices but always remember to have fun and not criticize the child if he/she doesn't always get it right. Hugs and encouragement does so much to instill security and confidence.

Congratulations and enjoy your new child. My husband and I raised a daughter and it was and still is one of the best experiences of our lives.

Answer 5

The greatest thing a child needs is unconditional love through all the good times and the bad. Still accepting them when they make mistakes. But also being a role model is very important. We look up to our parents for so many things and often do what they do so children need that solid foundation and good balance in order to succeed in all that they do. Just be a father and I'm sure you'll do just fine. Good luck and congratulations.

Answer 6

My father loved to teach us new things like how to fix a car, catch a fish, make things out of wood....really showed us his passions in life.

My father also taught me the value of hard work and loyalty by being a hard worker at his job and not quitting when things got tough.

Fitness is great and spending quality time together with regular and varied activities will show them a love of new things and ways to get fit all at once!

Answer 7

A child NEEDS to see real love and affection in the home. Besides the norm, this is by far the most important thing in my opinion. Seeing how mommy and daddy interact with one another is extremely important. My children have always seen mommy and daddy hug and kiss. They have always heard I love you and they have never seen us argue or fight (we don't). If we have disagreements, we discuss it somewhere in private. Be physically active and mentally active. Read to your child and play with your child. Always give your children a safe environment to grow up in; free from verbal and physical abuse. Be a family worth growing up in. Think about that. Love your wife and love your children. Do not allow anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to compromise that.

Congratulatons on the pregnancy!! I wish you the very best.

Answer 8

Lol, you've already been working out for your child... ha ha ha. No really, that's sweet that you are taking your responsibility as a parent very seriously. Just be sure to set a good example for a boy by loving and respecting women so he will grow up to be a good man. For a girl, love her and spend alot of time with her (more so if she ends up having a brother later on) so she grows up a confident and self respecting woman. Good luck and congratz!

Answer 9

I would say discipline is a very important thing! Respect for others, esp family and elders, is the most important thing anyone can learn in life.

I would start researching what you and your wife are comfortable with and begin doing activities that will strengthen the bond you have between you as well, as pregnancy and the first year are very difficult even for strong couples.
Good luck!!!

Answer 10

Remember that your child is a person too. SO many parents talk down to their children because they think that their kids are too young or too inexperienced to have opinions or ideas of their own. I think this is ignorance on the parents' part. As I am sure you remember, when you were a kid (especially a teenager!) you had many opinions and ideas of your own. Show merit to your child's feelings!! I am not saying that you should always follow your child's lead...just don't discount it out of hand. By practicing this with your child you let them know that their opinions and ideas matter, not only to you but in the great scheme of things. Talk about a confidence booster!! And when you don't agree with your child, tell them why and for god's sake do NOT fall back on the "Because I said so." By having this kind of relationship with my own children, we have a certain amount of respect for each other's minds. They know that they can tell me anything and I will shoot straight with them. If something don't work, I tell them exactly why I think it won't BUT I also let them be themselves. For example, I am an atheist, yet my children go to church and do believe in God. Many people ask me why. It's really very simple. They want to go and they want to believe. Who the hell am I to tell them different? They know my stand and they know why I feel the way I do, yet because they know that I respect their opinions they are free to make their own choices and freer to respect and understand that they wont always match mine. Remember... Your child is a person.... not a puppet for you to control. And don't think I am an extremist... I am not talking about things that would be harmful to your children. Just let them know that they matter as people.