1. Practice being kind instead of being right.
2. Share your hobbies with your kids.
3. Select one day a month or a year to be OUR DAY and mark it on your calendar. Let your child decide what the day’s events will be and celebrate together!
4. Come up with predictable times to listen to your child – Saturday morning breakfast just the two of your. Playing catch, board games, or even driving with the radio off are wonderful times for listening.
5. Frequently remind your kids how grateful you are they were born.
6. Don’t forget the powerful habit of note writing. Leave some unexpected words of encouragement in a lunch box or under a pillow. If you travel, begin a postcard tradition. Send your child a postcard from each trip you take.
7. Learn something new with your children.
8. Is there a way you might make some chore a ritual your child looks forward to participating in with you? Maybe your wash the windows every spring and then have an annual water fight.
9. Share your goals with y our kids. Let them know how you achieved a dream. Help your children come up with action plans to achieve their goals.
10. Don’t forget the five “P’s” of fathering: patience, pure love, playfulness, passion and persistence.

Remember your child has his own spiritual path. He isn’t, nor will he ever be, exactly the way your want him to be or just like you. Most often, arguments come from parents who are expecting their kids to think the way they think or do something the way they want it done. Once you accept your child for who he is, today, then so much of the tension and anger will dissolve.

Find joy in watching him emerge into his unique self and shift your thinking to understanding how he works rather than why he isn’t working for you.