I’m a faulty man in my mid-fifties, with a wonderful wife of 28 years with 23 years of full time ministry under my belt. All my children are in their early and mid-twenties, walking with Jesus and I’m a Grateful Dad.
Two bits of advice I found worked pretty well.
- I always tried to be the one to put my children to bed when they were small, to exchange small-talk and giggles, bible bits and prayings. I read somewhere that the tone and resonance of the male voice (as long as you’re relaxed and not watch-watching!) helps your child make a (relatively!) easy trip to the land of infant dreams.
- At a time when it seemed like I was always clashing with my nine year old daughter, I read somewhere that one of the reasons some teenage girls slip into promiscuity can be a lack of appropriate physical affection from the father. I instantly knew that God meant that for me and decided on the spot that as far as possible, there would be a point in each day where I would give her a big cuddle and tell her how much I loved her. Things changed wonderfully from that point.
By the grace of God, I’m a Grateful Dad.
