Men's Health magazine had an interesting article called "The 10 Commandments of Dad". Out of the ten commandments listed, the ones I liked the best were:
X. This is Their Life, Not a Second Chance at Yours
I can’t say it any better than one of the most eminent psychiatrists of our time, Bruno Bettelheim: "We become upset when we believe we see in a child aspects of our own personalities of which we disapprove." Bang! On the money! It’s tempting to make good on your own shortcomings through your children. Just because you didn’t make the varsity at North Salem High that doesn’t mean Stan Jr. has to. Help them follow their own path, not your road-not-taken.
XI . Love Their Mother
One extra commandment. Hug Mom. Often. In front of the kids. Sure, sometimes marriages end, but the obligation to a woman doesn’t. Be grateful to her. Speak to her with respect. Try to make her laugh. Listen. You can figure out how to love her.
The other quote in the article I really liked was "F. Scott Fitzgerald said the sign of a first-rate mind was the ability to have two opposite opinions at the same time". Being a Dad is complicated business and there are a lot of mixed messages out there.
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