Hero: Being the Strong Father Your Children Need

by Meg Meeker

never allow a feeling of rejection to keep you from moving forward and engaging with your son or daughter.

Like every hero meeting an obstacle, you need to take a deep breath and then press on because your son or daughter ...

Your faults do not preclude you from being a hero in your children’s eyes.

men are pragmatists, list-makers, problem-solvers, and doers.

that’s all it takes—a willingness to face up to a problem, rather than to withdraw and try to ignore it, and then a resolution to solve it.

What separates great fathers from the others is their commitment to removing any and all roadblocks that keep them from having the relationship that they should have with their children. You

Heroic fathers don’t hold grudges. They hold on to what is good and forgive the rest.

Your son or daughter needs you, and if you want to better connect with your child, here’s a simple way to start. At the end of the day, sit on the edge of their bed and ask them how their day was. It doesn’t really matter what they say or even if they just say “Fine” and roll over and fall asleep. You made the gesture, and your child will take that to heart.

With daughters, the emphasis is less on doing than on talking—and luckily for fathers, you don’t have to do a lot of talking, you just have to ask specific questions and listen.

I can guarantee you that if you sincerely want to hear what is on your daughter’s mind, what she worries about or what she’s feeling, she will talk. So

Sons grow closer to their fathers through activity. So very often, the best way to engage with them is to play catch or go to a game.

Being a hero to your kids is simple. It isn’t easy, but it is simple. Live with courage. Take the heat and bear the burdens that come with leadership. Persevere. Don’t walk out. Be tenacious in love.

Being a hero-dad doesn’t mean getting everything right; it means getting the big things right.