How To Be a Great Father

Whether you’re a new or seasoned dad, you’ll agree that fatherhood is one of the most impactful journeys of your life. However, no matter how much you try your best at being a father, you’re always looking for ways to be worthy of your “World’s #1 Dad” shirt. 

Luckily for you, Dad University has you covered. Today, we’ll share our top nine tips on how to be a great father. 

By implementing these tips, you’ll be taking your fatherhood skills to the next level. Let’s get into it! 

Tip #1: Do What You Say You’ll Do

Being consistent and reliable is one of the first things your kids will pick up on, so you must follow through on the things you say you’ll do. 

Credibility goes a long way in promoting trust among your kids. By walking the walk, you can be the best person to rely on. For instance, when you tell your kids you’re taking them out for ice cream on the weekend, just do it. 

This simple act of following through will go a long way in being a trustworthy father.  

Tip #2: Focus on Quality Over Quantity

Sometimes, time just doesn’t allow for hours of fun with your kids. However, even if you’ve got just a few hours every day, you can still spend quality time with your children. 

You can start small by being 100% present when you’re at home. Being at home means way more than just “being around.” Your attentiveness is vital.

Your kids may love a walk in the park. Are your kids into board games? Have ice cream over a game of Monopoly. Whatever activity you choose, you’ll be amazed at how much your kids will appreciate the time you spend with them. 

Your presence is something your children will remember you for. 

Tip #3: Be Empathetic

As a dad, you’ll need to cultivate certain qualities as you deal with your kids. One of these qualities is empathy. 

Being empathetic to your kids involves putting yourself in their smaller shoes. By seeing things through their eyes, you’ll understand what they go through, from their fears to their anxieties. 

This achieves two things. First, it allows your child to be more open to you since you present yourself as being understanding. Secondly, you create an emotional bond by being someone your kids can disclose anything to.  

Tip #4: Listen as Much as You Talk

Being a dad is all about being someone your kids can talk to. For you to be the go-to sounding board for the little ones you love, you should listen more. Give your kids your undivided attention when they tell you how school went, who their new playmates are, and anything under the sun. 

As with the first three tips you’ve read, listening goes a long way. Why? Children need attention to feel loved and heard. By being attentive, you’ll reinforce how important your kids are to you.  

Tip #5: Set a Good Example

Children are in their formative years and will emulate the people they see a lot — you and your spouse. If you have good habits, your kids will pick up on those and copy them. However, if you’ve developed habits you’d rather not have them see, they’ll emulate them too. 

If you’re wondering how to set a good example, all you need to do is act in a way that you’d like them to in the future.  

Tip #6: Show Love and Affection

Showing love and affection is a critical part of being a great dad. As a father, you should express how much you love your kids regularly. For example, you can hug them every day or simply tell them you love them daily. 

Showing affection is essential to reinforcing the idea that you treasure your children. It establishes a critical emotional bond with them and tells them that they are in a loving environment.  

Tip #7: Set Boundaries and Rules

As a father, you should also reinforce proper behavior and cultivate discipline in your children. This process involves setting clear boundaries and rules. 

Rules and boundaries give your child clear standards and expectations. By knowing what you expect from your kids, they’ll behave repeatedly in ways that you want them to. Over time, positive behaviors become second nature to them, and they grow up to be outstanding people.  

Tip #8: Support Their Interests

Supporting your kids takes many forms, and one of these is being interested in what they’re interested in. This tip involves doing what your kids love doing — even if it’s not something you’re into. 

Whether it’s sports or video games, joining your kids in their favorite pastimes is an excellent way to form an emotional bond and spend quality time with them. Of course, you can still have them tag along to engage in your activities from time to time. 

Tip #9: Never Stop Learning

Nobody becomes a great dad overnight, and that’s why you should always seize any opportunity to level up your fatherhood skills. 

Like any journey, being a great dad involves constant trial and error and learning. By consistently learning new pieces of information, you’ll establish a knowledge base that will make you the best dad you can be. 

Whether you’re using Dad University’s resources or any other source of information, continuous learning is an essential part of the fatherhood journey. 

Bonus Tip: Let Dad University Be Your Partner in Your Fatherhood Journey

As a father, you’ll encounter many challenges on the road to becoming a better dad. Fortunately, we are here to help you throughout the journey. 

We have all the resources you’ll need to become the best dad you can be. From blog posts to videos, our resources are sure to be useful for your fatherhood journey. 

We congratulate you on embarking on this journey. If you need some help, let our resources at Dad University guide you every step of the way.

Watch the "How To Be a Great Father" video here: