My Fair Share

A long-time Be There Dad shared with me a quote attributed to Muhammed Ali. It says, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” An extension of “Love your neighbor,” it provides a framework for our obligations as dads.  We are all called to serve each other. So, I…

Values. The Rest Will Follow

This year most of us are watching intently as politicians seek election to office.  Adults have the privilege of choosing who will represent us in places like Washington, DC and Raleigh, so now is a unique time to teach our children. In our democracy that privilege of voting and making other decisions assumes that people…

Just One Thing

Recently there has been a rise in “hatefulness” in our country.  Much of it starts when folks just look at others and see differences.  These circumstances reminded me of an article we shared two years ago. Lots to Do It was a typical Saturday morning. Knowing I had lots of chores to do, I neither…

Illumination, Wisdom and Accompaniment

In his new book, How to Know A Person, David Brooks explores how we truly get to know a person and establish a relationship. As I read it, I realized that his conclusions are consistent with the Be There Dad approach to engaging and building relationships with our children.  Joined with Be There Dad notions,…

What Does Your Daddy Do?

As we dads continue to reflect on the ways we can engage with our children, in order to truly connect with them, it is best to understand how they view us,   We should consider how we can best fulfill their expectations.  What is important to them?  We can ask, “What does their daddy do?”  The…