When you became a daddy, did you think that being a father was something just so natural, you didn’t really need to think very much about it?

That was Chris’ experience more than four decades ago, but he had to learn the hard way that being the father his kids really needed wasn’t quite as simple as that.

Chris says that the key is about:

“Understanding what is going on [in our child’s life] and what our responsibilities are so we can prioritise [what is really important].”

Many years later with more than 20 grandchildren, Chris realises how much better off both he and his kids would have been if he had had a much more mature understanding of the challenge and his responsibilities.

Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
– Proverbs 17:6

In episode 31 of Real Talk 4 Real Men, you will learn:

• just how significant you are as daddy in your child’s life
• why being a dad is not as ‘natural’ as we have been lead to believe
• how to view you through your child’s perspective
• how to guard your kids’ precious emotions by how you react to your children
• why a dad’s interaction with his kids will shape his child’s impression of who God is
• what might happen to your children as adults if you are not diligent in how you represent God to your children, but also
• how your kids’ resilience makes up for many of your failures as a dad.

You can listen to episode 31 right here — being a father in a child’s world:

The Unasked Question

Have you asked yourself the question:

If your kids’ view of God depended on what they have seen in you as a dad towards them,

Would your kids have a good or a bad impression of God through their interaction with you?

Have we represented that God gets grumpy when we mess up, and will just punish us when we step out of line?

Or that God is selfish and doesn’t want to be bothered with us?

Perhaps we have given the impression that God is stingy and sparring of His blessings?

Or perhaps that God is too busy for them?

Or, will our children get an impression of God from us that He is compassionate towards them …

That God loves them and is for them when they mess up.  Yes, discipline is needed sometimes, but only because He really cares about where we are going in life.

The Place for Correction

At times you do need to call your children to account.

How are you going to handle that?

Will it be measured, intelligent, will it be appropriate, will it be caring for them much much more than because of your hurt pride?

Well, you’ll need to listen to the podcast to get the answers to that question …

The Trap

There is a trap for dads; a trap that even ‘good’ dads fall into.

Chris shares the beans on what that trap is and how you can not just avoid that trap, but turn it into an asset.

Listen now to being a father in a child’s world, or even better, subscribe through iTunes, Android, PodBean or Google Play Music.

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Want more?

If you found value in this episode about being a father in a child’s world, then you will find other great stuff about dads and children on Real Men 24/7 that will transform your relationship with your kids.  To find them, you can select ‘Children’ or ‘Family’ from the Categories list, but here are three articles or podcasts that you might benefit from:

4 men with 29 kids between them share their secrets to fatherhood:

• Ready, Steady Jump! The Fatherhood Adventure

Do you have sons? Get the 5 essentials for guiding your son into manhood:

• The 5 Essentials to Guiding Your Son from Boy to Manhood

Or do you have daughters?  They need you to answer this one question… will you?

• The One Question Your Daughter Needs You To Answer