Good Men Raise Good Sons
Gwenda Smithies sings the praises of traditional fatherhood—and of husband Roger.
My husband is one of three boys. Not one of those boys ever acted rebelliously or caused any trouble for their parents. As teenagers they were not swayed by peer pressure or fashion and showed the utmost respect and honour to their parents (which they all still do).
I’ve often mused on how it was that their parents achieved this outcome with their sons. My husband believes that is was simply because of all the time that the boys spent with their dad.
He had a workshop in his garage and al of the boys spent hours out there, watching him work and helping, later working on their own projects with him.
Perhaps they were so busy with their workshop, hobbies and doing things that they found interesting that they simply didn’t have the time to get into trouble.
It seems that many people these days chant the mantra ‘quality not quantity’. It seems that they think spending lots of time with their children isn’t important.
Quality of time is important, but so is quantity. I believe that it is more important than quality.
Dad needs to be around his children. He doesn’t have to spend lots of money on them or take them to fancy locations and exotic experiences. He just needs to live life with them, involving them in what he is doing and sharing their interests with them.
One father I know had the most amazing boys. He made a point of involving his sons in whatever he was doing, taking them to community meetings and involving them with him in community service projects.
He wanted to show them what it meant to be a good man, not just tell them. So anywhere he went that he felt there were good men he took his sons.
His sons are now in their twenties and are leaders in society, what an inspiration!
In the past men taught their sons their own trade, boys learned to hunt with their fathers as teachers and in fact spent most of their time in the company of their fathers and other male role models. The sort of men they grew to be was a reflection of the sort of man their father was.
Today we have lost so much of this fatherly role modeling and our children are paying the price. So you fathers, involve your children in the things that you do, be a role model and pave the way for your children to become the sort of adults you want them to be. Live life shoulder to shoulder with them.
Dating Dad
Everyone in my family has a date night with Daddy. Date nights are fun because you choose somewhere you want to go, like swimming, shopping, or going up the hill and seeing the lights of the city and you and dad do it in the evening.
We went swimming on my date night at Pioneer Stadium. It was very fun. I went around the lazy river heaps and Daddy bought me an ice cream on the way home!
My sisters Bonnie, Abbie and Sophie went swimming for their date nights too. My brother Ben wants to see the lights. Ben is four.
Everyone should have a date night with their dad.
Daniella (7)
Riding With Dad
Daddy enjoys spending time with me. Sometimes he takes me horse trekking. Daddy doesn’t know how to ride well so I have to tell him how.
We trot our gay hired horses over tinkling streams, past prickly gorse bushes, edging our surefooted mounts over rocky slopes. I love it!
Abbie (9)
Four-Square
Saturday is my favourite day of the week because that’s the day Daddy plays with us in the evening. And sometimes he stops gardening in the morning to play with us.
One of my best and favourite games is four-square. Us children are getting good at it and sometimes Daddy gets himself out! Four-square is my favourite game because Daddy plays it with us and because I love going outside and we play outside.
I love it when Daddy plays with us.
Bonnie (8)
