Tips from 25 + Dads
Hello good people! Thanks opening up my Monday’s List. This are responses I got back from Dads on what they’re consistent in to be the best dad. I love these responses. The responses are unedited. These Dads answered this question on the go.
On my latest podcast, you can hear my dear friend Derrick Sier and me talk over some of these responses. Check out podcast here.
Have fun reading. Share with some dads you know.
Name: Chauncey Julius
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Intentionally connect with my kids daily. Simply by asking things like how their day went. Connection is EVERYTHING to me. It’s the foundation to fathering.
Job Title: Real Estate InvestoR
Instagram: @TeamJulius3000
Name: Rodney Fouts
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Every day. Three hundred and sixty-five days of the year. I send my children a text with verses from my daily scripture reading. I also send personal thoughts with the scripture that hopefully inspires and encourages them as they follow Jesus.
Job Title: Pastor North.Church
Instagram: @RodneyFouts
Name: Josh Wilcox
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Listening
Job Title: Optician
Instagram: @joshdwilcox
Name: Douglas Lewis
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Making sure they know that they can come to me with anything and that they won't be judged by me or blamed, but that I will listen and provide honest feedback.
Job Title: HR Director
Name: Lenon Williams
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Well, to be honest, what I work to be consistent at to be the best father is a multifaceted approach. That approach is to attend all my kids activities and pray with them before their event and let them know how special they are in the eyes of the Lord and how fun it is for me to see them do what they have been blessed & love doing.
Job Title: LenonGrad the Dad
Name: Doug Hacking
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Not doing something stupid to wreck the relationship. So not drinking in excess, glancing at another woman, being abusive physically or mentally, and basically not doing any of the things I witnessed my dad do so that I stop the generational trauma. And when I catch myself gravitating towards my negative conditioning, I try to quickly catch it and make adjustments and then apologize or discuses with the children when necessary. For example, this weekend my youngest asked if he could help me clean the garage. At first I told him it’s kind of a one man job. I saw the disappointment in his eyes as he went back into the house. I quickly realized this was the same dynamic when I was a kid and then went back into the house and told him I actually found a way he could really help me. That dude came out and worked hard for an hour straight. Quality work too. So my long winded one practical thing is to not be stupid. And when you are stupid, quickly own it and fix it.
Job Title: Ripple Effect OKC organizer
Instagram: @DougHacking
Name: Clint Smith
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
I always want my kids to know they can talk to me about anything. Keeping a relationship is key.
Job Title: Pastor
Instagram: @ClintSmithXp
Name: Andrew Wagner
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Being present in the moment for my children and wife.
Job Title: Project Manager
Name: Al Vick
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Being honest and keeping my word. Letting the girls know honesty is the best policy because if you tell the truth you may or may not get in trouble depending on the situation. If you lie to me then I will not believe anything you say and then you will have to earn my trust back.
Job Title: Delivery driver/Self employed
Name: Wayland Cubit
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
I want to be available for my kids. As a young father my availability has been inconsistent. Balancing work, overtime, and school caused me too often to be physically present, but emotionally absent. However as I matured in manhood I recognized this issue and now make myself 100% all in for phone calls, text, emails, doctors appointments, flat tires, car rides, gift shopping, family meals. I show up without judgment and criticism even when doing so becomes challenging for me. I want them to know dad loves them and there is nothing they can do about it. They can’t earn any more love and they can’t destroy an ounce of this love.
Job Title: Lieutenant
Instagram: @MENTORING1235
Name: Jason Reece
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
To make them feel loved and to tell them as many times as I can a day that I love them.
Name: Larry Clayton
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
I work on always teaching love. I try to make sure that, no matter the situation, I say I love you. This means that not only do I say “I love you” on great days or in the middle of a great moment, I say it on the bad days and the darker moments. I am intentionally trying to help them see fatherly love as non-qualified, meaning they don’t have to be perfect to qualify for it. It’s inherited love.
I say some iteration of the following sentences quite a lot: “I love you because you are my son (or daughter). You don’t have to be good enough. You also can’t be bad enough to take my love away.”
Job Title: Safety Director
Name: Preston Williams
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Understanding
Job Title: Transportation Equipment operator
Name: Rashawn Copeland
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
I’d say being intentional about teaching my children on the go — if I tell them to not do something, I follow that up with the “why” they should not do that.
Another thing raising 4 boys, I want to teach them how to respect women at an early age — by first being that example to them by the way I treat and love their mother.
Leaders are readers — wisdom is far easier learning through someone else's experiences than your own. I choose to read books — and I want my kids to read as well.
Job Title: Digital Evangist // CEO
Instagram: @rashcopeland
Name: Marcus Jackson
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
My integrity with my kids. I believe that if I stay true to the core values that I want to see them exercise, I have to also exercise them daily myself.
Job Title: Executive Director of Urban Bridge inc
Instagram: Kadenceokc
Name: Kevin Craft
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Being there for all their events, big or small. I love being able to cheer them on in life. Being consistent in their lives hopefully shows them, first - they are loved; second - there is nothing more important to me than them; third - big or small events they all matter.
Job Title: State Farm Agent
Name: Corey Glover
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Communication letting him know he can always talk to me no matter the situation.
Job Title: Electronics technician
Instagram: @C_glove14
Name: Greg Hawks
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Expressing my love & acceptance of them. Telling them how proud I am of them. Letting them know how fabulous I think they are & that God's Favor is on their life.
Job Title: Culture Specialist
Instagram: @GregHawks
Name: Frank Sanchez
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Communication, this can come in all different ways. Be able to listen to your kids without always throwing in your two cents. Just sit back, open your hears and give them that attention.
Job Title: School Based Social Worker
Name: Dan Newton
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
I am an imitator. Hebrews 13:7 says “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” I find myself being influenced by seeing other great fathers such as my son Heady Coleman and I aim for such greatness myself. There is One and Only one truly great Father and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way I can imitate Him is thru His Word. Thru the reading, memorizing and applying of His Word into my life. My kids … even though I didn’t realize it at the time … have seen me in my times alone with the Lord and were somehow influenced to do the same themselves. Just thinking on something that seems so trivial has amazed me on a grander scale. The bible is here to change me. The more time I spend there the more that change occurs.
Job Title: Retired Financial Advisor
Name: Jonatan Miles
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Making a daily investment in myself (spiritually) so that I can make spiritual deposits into them. I also work on having healthy conversations regarding worldly issues.
Job Title: Pastor/Coach
Instagram: Discipleshipmiles and jm_sportsperformance
Name: Jerrod Murr
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Show up. Showing up means just being there. I have given up golf and most of my hobbies to be there. I work hard to limit my travel for work. Moreover being there is being present. Leave work at work. Get off my phone. Focus on what is in front of me with my kids. “Wherever you are, be all the way there.”
Job Title: Ceo of paradigm shift
Instagram: @jerrodmurr
Name: Josh Chappell
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
I setup a reminder in my phone to pray every single day for my kids. I typically do this in the truck before leaving the driveway.
Job Title: Healthcare Admin
Instagram: No social for this guy
Name: Seth Robbins
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
I try to be honest with my kids about how what they do and say OR what they DON’T affects me as a human, not just their father. I think kids get caught in a trap of forgetting that their parents are the same as they are, just in an older shell. I remind them, I am a person just like you with hopes, dreams, fears, insecurities, shame, disappointment, joy, pleasures etc. I think kids fail to realize how much they can actually harm us as parents with their words and actions and kind of treat us like tools with utility only, to be used and relied on. Fathering is lonely…..and I want my kids to understand that not only for our relationship but to prepare them for their future children.
Job Title: Insurance Agency Owner
Instagram: poppa_red
Name: Cameron Dukes
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Keeping my word.
Job Title: CEO and owner of Cam’s Silkscreening
Instagram: @musicbycam
Name: Tony Stout
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Making myself available to my kids! Making sure they know I value them and will make time for them.
Job Title: Account Executive
Instagram: @stouttony8
Name: Michael Cross
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Having a relationship with my kids by being invested into their personal lives and teaching them truth with both firmness and affection.
Job Title: Licensed Professional Counselor
Instagram: @micky8080
Name: Jeff Ball
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
I try my best to lead by example and show them what being present in their life looks like. It’s an honor to be a #boydad and a #girldad. Thankful for all the fathers in this world who wake up each day and accept the challenge. You guys rock!
Job Title: Principal
Instagram: Jball41
Name: Norman Markland
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
Patience and mostly being present with my daughter. It can get challenging at times with our phones, but I really try being intentional about being present with her. I can easily triggered so making sure I’m present and responding to her with love.
I also try to make time to do things like go to the park. Read with her and have morning and after school conversations.
Job Title: Director
Instagram: nmarkland2
Name: jefferson Killgore
What's one practical thing you work to be consistent at to be the best father?
The example I set as a husband. To honor and serve their mother in a way the celebrates the vow of our marriage and a commitment to God. From little chores to join her in big adventures and decisions; I want our children to see the partnership of our commitment to one another and our family.
Job Title: Oil and Gas professional- community volunteer
Instagram: @jhkillgore
Podcast and more.
Go Win,
Heady Coleman
Go Win is being consistent in the "right things" that allow you to achieve the wins you have defined for your life so that you can live out your greatest story.
HEADYCOLEMAN.COM