With Father’s day just around the corner, it’s a great time to discuss how fathers serve as role models for their children. As a father, you have the opportunity to model behaviors that can have a profound impact on your children. When it comes to your career and education specifically, you have vast opportunities to model commitment, dedication, goal attainment, and self-improvement among other things.
In the All Pro Dad article, “10 Ways You Can Be A Role Model for Your Child,” healthy living, self-improvement, serving/volunteering, opening up your life, self-control, right relationships, respect and listening, positive attitude, goal-setting and walking the talk are listed as ways to be a role model to your children.
Many of us value educational attainment for our children and what better way to model that than by completing or furthering your education. Returning to school to finish a degree or advancing your education is a great way to show your children your commitment to self-improvement and goal-setting.
In a CUBUFFS.COM article, former NFL star Kordell Stewart explains why he returned to campus to complete his undergraduate degree; “Doing this is to give my son a quality visual,” Stewart said. “You don’t want to have your son listening to you when you’re talking to him and not be leading by example at the same time. You want to give him something that he sees you do, something that you live by, not just say.” Stewart’s example shows a father walking the talk, demonstrating goal-setting and self-improvement.
Besides education attainment, we can also portray positive career behaviors and attitudes to children. If you have a career goal you hope to attain, make it known as a way to model goal setting for your children. Also, show them how you carry yourself professionally. The All Pro Dad article mentioned above suggests that you open up your life to your children and, “Take your children to work with you and let them see your daily life. Let them see how you interact with other adults and how you carry yourself. Status doesn’t mean a thing, but your attitude and your demeanor mean the world.”
Take time this Father’s Day to reflect on how you are role modeling for your children.
This post is part of our #FathersTrust content series