One of the most important parts of being a head football coach or player is watching film. Every week, teams gather to watch the previous game and figure out what they need to fix moving forward. It’s difficult looking at the ways you fell short, but it’s such a helpful exercise to grow. If you want to improve at anything, you have to be intentional about it. Even small changes, when done well, can make a huge difference in changing from a losing team to a winning one.
We need to do the same thing as fathers. How often do you think about how to be a better dad? There are a couple of ways I would like to be a better dad. Here’s what I’m working on.
1. Patience
I’m pretty patient in a lot of areas. When my kids make a simple mistake or when they cross a boundary we haven’t covered, I tend to react calmly. But when my kids do things they know they shouldn’t do, I blow up sometimes. While it may be understandable, at the end of the day, it doesn’t help my kids and it hurts our relationship. I need to remind myself to calm down and make it a teaching moment.
2. Helping My Kids Grow Spiritually
I want my kids to learn what my parents taught me. This world isn’t all we are going to have. Our ultimate goal shouldn’t be about what we achieve, what school we go to, what clothes we wear, or our possessions. I believe our ultimate goal should be having a close relationship with God. I feel like I need to do a better job getting my kids to think about that.
Sound off: In what ways are you trying to improve as a dad?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “In what ways do you think I could improve as a dad?”