Provide. Protect. Project.

The roles of a family man.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash.

My 8-year-old son and I were talking about the roles of a man in the house.

We thought of three important roles, and since we like to play around with words, we looked for a nice alliteration.

Provide: A man should work hard and work smart to provide for his family.Protect: A man should protect his family. This covers a wide spectrum of activities, from being fit and capable of defending the family from direct harm, to ensuring the home is safe and well-maintained, with nothing at risk of breaking.Project: A man should show, not tell. Transmitting values starts with living up to them. Only then can come discussions and explanations.

Granted, there’s more to being a man and a father than providing, protecting, and projecting. But I find it’s useful to have these little catchy reminders. I see them as handles you can use to grab a hold of a nuanced topic and lift it into your mind.

Besides, having that conversation with my son was more important than identifying a precise model. It showed him — I hope — that I take him seriously, that I strive to improve, and that he can too.

It was also a good excuse to talk about something other than LEGO Ninjago or the latest fart jokes.