This is an email from Stories from the Vault, a newsletter by The Dad Vault.
Sep 14, 2020
The Dad Hammer Times, 9/14/2020
“Every dad is the family role model, whether he wants the job or not.” — Dennis Rainey, Author of Stepping Up (AF)
In our family, I tend to set the tone for our day. If I start off well, my kids will start their day well too. If I am struggling, they will too. For some reason, it seems to be true for many families.
My wife has a tendency to pole friends on how their husbands are doing if their family is having a hard day, week, month. So often, husband and father are struggling with work or with something personal and it is impacting everyone.
While this quote is more about being a role model, it always reminds me about how important it is for me to set the tone for my family. To start the day well so everyone else can too.
How can you set the tone for your family today?
This Week’s Stories
This week’s stories take us on a journey of what marriage isn’t and how we can impact our children and their hopes and dreams. Be sure to jump over to each one, clap, highlight, leave a comment, and share!
Hopes and Dreams for Our Children
By: Jack Heimbigner
Routinely in our household, we receive declarations of what my daughters want to be when they grow up. This is actually really fun because we encourage them to chase after the things they really love.
—
5 Things Marriage Isn’t About
I once worked at a prestigious hotel where elaborate weddings were the norm. Brides made an entrance from helicopters on the golf course during an extensive fireworks display. Grooms rode in on elephants. The ballrooms sparkled and the food was epic. Those couples put a lot of attention and detail into their weddings, but I wonder how much thought they put into their marriages. I wonder if they were surprised by what they discovered once the honeymoon phase fizzled out. They may have found that marriage isn’t what they thought.
Dad Jokes
“Did you hear about the circus fire? It was in tents.”
I have to admit, I use this one on a regular basis. My kids don’t get it at all. But my mom laughs at it every time. It’s a cheap laugh, I know.
Weekly Prompt
How did you prepare for fatherhood?
When we had our first, I read half a dozen books. With our second, I read a couple of new ones. With our third, not a single one. This makes sense to me, but it got me thinking, how do other fathers prepare for fatherhood?
Share your experience in a story and submit it this week!
