Being a Dad Who Cares

As a Dad of two young sons, I try to be involved in their world by knowing their friends (and their friends' parents when possible), by being involved as a youth sports coach, by volunteering in their classrooms. Because I care about my sons. And because I care about children.

Reggie Joiner, in his book The Slow Fade, writes from the perspective of the Dad of college-aged adults that he is. But this excerpt (pg. 34), though not written about being a parent of young children, summarizes why I try to be involved in my sons lives as well as those of other children:

"When I meet someone who is college-aged, I think about my kids, then I think about their parents, and I wonder what I can do that would reflect what I would want another adult to do if this were my son or daughter. It's not that I am extremely gracious or noble; it's just that I am a Dad and I have children, and I know adults who care about my kids. So I tend to care about other people's kids; it's just contagious that way".