Today’s Dad is a different man than he was 30 years ago.  Gone are the days of walking in from work to a wife who has been home all day baking bread and cookies and is placing a plate of hot meat and potatoes on a perfectly set table.  Chances are, your wife is walking in the door behind you or has just picked up the kids from day care and is running through the drive through on her way home.

As fathers we all need to make sure we shed the old school way of thinking and realize that in this age of dual income families the gender roles are now blurry and we need to know the difference between detergent and fabric softener, permanent press and delicates and water temperatures for whites and for colors but you know what, it’s a good thing.

For those of us who have daughters, do we really want them to find a man that does not help them around the house?  Are you really ok with them settling down as a home maker and not being able to support themselves after high school?  I for one want my girls to head out into the world and be successful on their own.  I don’t want them to have this skewed view that a man’s job is to cut the grass, take out the garbage and work while they should wash dishes, do laundry and have babies.  Just like my sons need to know how to do laundry, cook dinner and clean the house my daughters need to be ok with changing trash bags, unclogging the occasional toilet and hanging a picture on the wall. Remember the roles have changed both ways and the idea is to create independent adults with a rational view of how to raise a family of their own.

We also need to take more of an interest in what goes on in the lives of our children outside of the house.  Believe it or not your teenager has a life outside of your home and it is important to know as much as you can about it.  Being a “hands on” father is now essential to being a great father.  We need to make sure we take the time to sit down and talk about their day before we start complaining about our bosses and co-workers.  Kids aren’t interested in hearing us complain about work, it’s not their job to, it is however our job to know what boys they like, who they got into a fight with and what teacher they are having a hard time with.  Remember, your wife is just as busy as you are now and should not have to come home and shoulder the load of handling all the bumps in the road your children may encounter.

We have the ability to impact our children’s lives every second of every day.  Your son will grow up and chances are he will emulate what he says from you.  Show him that being a father takes more than just a long day at the office and a beer while watching TV.  Your daughter will form her opinion of what is acceptable from a man based on how you treat her mother.  Don’t set their standards low.

Author: Eric Rush

Eric Rush is a teen dad turned superdad. A 27 year old dad and stepdad, Eric first became a father when he was just 14 years old. Since then, a lot has changed and Eric is now happily married and expecting his second child. In addition to working full-time as an IT professional, Eric goes to school, plays with the kids and drives a mini-van. He hopes to share his passion for family and his unique experiences to encourage other young dads. Along with my blog site please visit me at: ---My weekly podcast about general fatherhood--- ---My facebook fan page---

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