As to the forwarded message below, fathers.com sends out short newsletters every few days to fathers with helpful tips and a link to its blog. If interested anyone can sign up to receive updates at the bottom of this e-mail.
I found this resource via one of the fathers who attended your GradeSpeed session and All Pro Dads.
From: Carey Casey / fathers.com [mailto:dads@fathers.com]
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 8:30 AM
To: Wingfield, Donald (MNPS)
Subject: I forgot to open the door ...
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 8:30 AM
To: Wingfield, Donald (MNPS)
Subject: I forgot to open the door ...
“Dad, aren’t you going to open the door?”
That’s what I heard from my fifteen-year-old son Chance one morning not long ago.
We have several routines we go through every morning before he leaves for school. One is sitting together for a few minutes to read some wisdom and maybe talk for a minute. We’ve been doing that probably seven or eight years.
But lately there’s another routine that’s been taking place not long after that, and it’s really no big deal ... or so I thought.
So that morning, we finished reading and then Chance left the room to do whatever else he does to get ready. After a few minutes, I heard him say from the front of the house, “Dad...?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to open the door?”
I said, “What’re you talking about?”
And he said again, “Aren’t you going to open the front door?”
I was thinking, You’re almost sixteen; you’re as tall as I am now. I’m pretty sure you can open your own door!
I’d forgotten about the other part of our morning routine. He leaves pretty early, so I usually turn the light on there by the front door, open it, kiss his forehead, give him a hug, and say something like, “Hey, you’re a winner. And you have a great life and great responsibility ahead of you.”
Anyway, he reminded me about that, and it struck me as a sign that he places some value on it. He wanted his dad to open the door!
Now, what difference does it make if I go through this routine? Well, as a dad of a teenager, it affirmed my role in his life—and that doesn’t happen much anymore.
Read on in this week’s blog for some ways this might apply to you and some encouragement for your fathering. As always, I’ve also provided some practical Action Points.
What has helped you connect with your teenager? Please join the discussion at the blog or on our Facebook page.
Keep up the good work, dad.
Carey Casey
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