The players in the Super Bowl will be remembered for a long time for the way they come up big for their team. When you come up big for your kids, you will be remembered for a long time as well.
The players in the Super Bowl set a goal at the beginning of the season to reach this point. They took small, intentional steps throughout the year in order to put themselves in position. You can do the same so you can come up big for your kids. To that end, here are 10 ways to come up big for your kids.
1. Listen to them. Don’t immediately “solve” every one of your children’s problems, and don’t dismiss their concerns. Really listen to them and seek to understand what they are feeling and going through.
2. Learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Especially dads. Seeing you make mistakes, yet learn and get better from the lessons, will be huge for your kids.
3. Get involved in their education. When a dad is involved with his kid’s education, the kids become more interested in school, get better grades, and develop better social skills.
4. Realize they need your time more than things. Love is spelled T-I-M-E. We spend time with who, or what, we love. Show your kids you love them by spending time with them.
5. Work hard and teach them to work hard. One of my favorite quotes is, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” No matter how good your kids are at something, their hard work will always make them better.
6. Pray for them. Teach them the power and privilege of prayer by regularly praying with them. Not just at meals and bedtime, but show them what it means to pray without ceasing.
10 Ways to Teach Your Child to Pray
7. Discipline them in love. Boundaries are important, so you must establish them. But make sure your discipline is out of love, not anger, frustration, or any other negative emotion. Use discipline to teach them there are consequences to all their actions.
8. Have a healthy relationship with their mother. No matter your relationship status with your kids’ mother, make sure it is healthy. Treat her with love and respect, as it is foundational to your relationship with your kids.
9. Be a servant leader. Leading by example, and by serving, will show your kids the most effective way to lead. It will help them in life when they are in roles of leadership or roles where they are following someone else’s leadership.
10. Support their dreams. Get behind the things your kids’ want to achieve and do all you can to help them. Encourage them and be there for them when it gets tough. Letting them know that dad is always in their corner will be big for your kids.
All Pro Dad is Family First’s innovative and unique program for every father. Their aim is to interlock the hearts of the fathers with their children and, as a byproduct, the hearts of the children with their dads. At AllProDad.com, dads in any stage of fatherhood can find helpful resources to aid in their parenting. Resources include daily emails, blogs, Top 10 lists, articles, printable tools, videos and eBooks. From AllProDad.com, fathers can join the highly engaged All Pro Dad social media communities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Joseph Mattera 
BJ Foster 
Shelby Bowen