Don’t be the dad who says, “Look what I did!” Instead, quietly do stuff that needs to be done so your kids think, “I’m so glad I can count on Dad. My dad is my hero.” There are plenty of opportunities where you can be the hero behind the scenes. Here are just a few.
How to Have Your Kids Saying: My Dad is My Hero.
Opportunities for you to perform the duty of the moment come along every day:
- The baby spikes a fever and can’t go to the sitter. With no self-pity or fanfare, you step up, cancel a couple appointments, and take care of your little one.
- Twenty minutes before the game begins, your son realizes he forgot the belt to his baseball pants.You race home and race back to the diamond. Only to discover he borrowed a belt from a teammate. It’s okay, Dad.
- Your young teenage daughter unexpectedly needs a feminine hygiene product. Without asking questions, you make the dash to Walgreen’s and never mention it again.
- Your high school senior realizes the college application was supposed to be received at the school by October 15. Not postmarked by October 15. While she scrambles to assemble the paperwork, you locate the nearest FedEx dropbox with the extra late pickup.
- On a first date, your son texts from the restaurant that he’s short of cash. Secretly, you meet him at the hostess desk with a couple of twenties. (He’ll pay you back later.)
- You’re expecting a quiet Friday evening at home with the missus. Your son texts that the football game is rained out and he’s bringing home some soggy friends. Somehow you also spring for four extra-large pizzas.
- Your daughter and son-in-law post that their new home apparently is on a flood plain. Twenty minutes later, you show up at their door with a portable water pump, two dehumidifiers, and a mop.
It’s good to be the hero. It’s even better to be the quiet, unassuming hero.
