by Crystal Cook

Created on: September 18, 2006   Last Updated: April 25, 2007

Our sons and daughters are watching and listening, even when we don't think they are. Parents who don't practice what they preach send a very clear message to their children... It's okay to do whatever you want as long as someone's not looking. What a confusing message to send to a young child. Then those same parents wonder why their children so often misbehave behind their backs.

Fathers have so much more influence on their child's future than they may think.

Sons learn how to treat women by watching their fathers.

Daughters learn how men should treat women by watching their fathers.

They learn work ethics, values and morals; they learn things a father doesn't even know he is teaching. A father is not simply a man who has a child. A father is a man who teaches his child, who sets an example which will affect the future of their son or daughter.

(1) Be mindful of the tongue -

Did you know for every negative thing said to your child there should be ten positives as well? Children need praise and encouragement. They need to know their dad is proud of them so they can learn to take pride in themselves.

(2) Silence is not golden -

Fathers must talk to their children. When they come home from work, even if they are tired or frustrated, it is vital he acknowledge his child. Ask him/her how their day was; tell him/her you missed them. If you don't talk to them, one day they'll stop trying to talk to you.

(3) Let them see love -

Children often grown up to have relationships which mirror the relationship their parents had. Fathers play the most important role in these future relationships. Sons tend to treat their girlfriends or wives in the same manner their father treated their mother. Daughters often find a man with the qualities of their father, a man who will treat her the way her father treated her mother. Even if there is a separation between mother and father, the children should never see anything but respect between them.

(4) Play with them -

A father who is willing to put down the paper and sit on the floor to play marbles with their son or have a tea party with their daughter is teaching their child they are worthy and loved. Ignoring a child sends the opposite message. Fathers should read to their children, tell them stories from when they were a kid or just have a good ole' tickle fight.

(5) Make memories -

Most children have more memories of their mother than they do of their father. Fathers need to make time to explore the wonders of the back yard, to go camping

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