Every dad knows that once you have children, even the best plans can be sent into chaos in an instant. In order to meet these challenges effectively, you have to find ways of staying in the game, even when things aren’t going right.
“Look at me right now. Relaxing in the driver’s seat, windows down, hair blowing in the breeze – I’m pretty chilled and my daughter is fine. I’m being adaptable, making do, going with the flow.
No one would know she just opened the soup I was going to heat up for lunch and it went all over her and the back of the car on the way to childcare. So, she now needs to be taken home and changed, and I am late for the National Management Meeting. But that’s okay, we will get there eventually.”
Top Tips
- Be clear about the type of dad you want to be. How do you want your children to see you as a dad? Loving, caring, present, patient, fun, kind? Match your actions to these goals even in tricky situations.
- Maintain a positive attitude and focus on the important things. Remember how you feel about a situation is determined by how you think about.
- Stay flexible and be prepared for changes. Try to come up with alternatives and to leave time in case you need to put your backup plan into action.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff. If your kids didn’t each vegetables today because you were late home from work, you are not failing as a parent. Get back on track tomorrow and they’ll be fine.
- Choose your battles wisely. Sometimes you just need to let things go and come back to them later when the time is right. If your child is having a meltdown or you are arguing with a teenager in public, sometimes the best option might be to remove yourselves and deal with this at home.
- Keep the big picture in mind and focus on having happy, healthy kids.
