Little Dude – Before THE Haircut
Seriously? Almost a month without a post. Geesh. Get with it, Dude!
All I can say is: 3 kids. Enough.
So, I missed a Father’s Day post. That’s a home run post for the Dude!
Dang kids! (shaking my fist like an ole’ timer!)
But the good news I’ve stockpiled a few thoughts, links, etc.
A bit belated, but happy Dad’s Day dudes. Now, consider how important you are. For real.
I mentioned this super rad Dude’s online magazine, Bearings, in my New Year’s post. If you haven’t subscribed, chop, chop. Hop to it. It won’t disappoint…”A Southern Lifestyle Guide for Men,” enough said.
The brilliance that is Bearings shared some nice Papa’s Day thoughts, and here’s a few of my favs…
- Dads teach us lessons about fatherhood through their successes and their failures.
- They teach us to show up when it’s easier to run.
- They teach us to persevere when it’s easier to quit.
- They teach us to get back up when we fall down.
- They teach us to spend time with those who matter most, because life is short and tomorrow is not guaranteed.
- Most of all, they teach us that legends aren’t always made in the public eye – they are made in the eyes of sons whose eyes are on their fathers.
In addition to those awesome words of wisdom, the Bearings dudes also shared a sweet documentary that I was unaware of – The Other F Word. Punk rocker dudes that are now dads! Sweetness.
I feel like I grew up with these dudes, and to see them fumble through fatherhood is awesome. A whole new respect.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZkWHZ3hJtY[/youtube]
I also hung on to a post from Zen Habits that boils that whole Dad thing down to one simple lesson…
Appreciate your child’s love for you.
Whoa. That stops you for a minute. So easy. So profound. But so hard.
Do we even realize how much those little people love us? How much they watch our every move? Listen to our every word…even when they back-talk and seem to be ignoring?
Our kids are learning from us every second of every day. We may not realize it. They may not realize it. But those little sponges are sucking up each and every action we take…good and bad.
Understand how much you’re loved. And love them back. It’s that simple.
How about some stats to back up the importance of us dudes? Right on.
Click through for a variety of dad stats, but here’s one that sums it up well…
Children whose fathers are highly involved with them in a positive way do better in school, demonstrate better psychological well-being and lower levels of delinquency, and ultimately attain higher levels of education and economic self-sufficiency. One of the most important factors in girls’ academic achievement is their father’s belief in them.
Sorry it’s a bit late, but I hope it’s as clear to you as it is to me that the most important – and rewarding – journey we’ll take is from Dude to Dad.
The best part is, we’re Dads; the expectations are already set low. If we remember to shower and a put on a shirt without stains, we’re already ahead of the game.
All we need to do is show up and have a good time. Smile. Laugh. Have fun. And love those kids. It’s as simple as that.
PS – Just to keep it real, dads you’re market value is $23, 344. While moms are worth $59,862. Dang!
