Tell me about being a father.
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| Newborn Wally. This is when the doubts began. |
As you mentioned Wally and Theo are young adults now. What do you see when you look at them?
I see responsible, kind people who can hold an intelligent conversation and who know how to handle disappointment. Also, I see good drivers and I am thankful that all of that stressful time of teaching them how to drive seems to have paid off.
Even though you were unsure of what you were doing, you have successfully raised two boys to adulthood. What advice do you have for new dads?
I'm not sure. I still don't know if I have parenting figured out. But I'll give it a try. Educate yourself, but also use your common sense. Spend time with you kids and let them learn from your examples.
But here's something that Wally said the other day that may be the real key to successful parenting. He said that the best thing we did as parents was to keep trying. We'd try one thing to solve a problem and it wouldn't work. And then we'd try something else and it wouldn't work. We'd try another thing and it wouldn't work either. But finally we'd try something and it would work! He is very grateful the many times we didn't give up when it would have been a lot easier. So for new dads, I'd say, just keep trying.
Thanks. Next time I'll make an appointment and we'll have another conservation about some of the details of raising Wally and Theo.
Happy Father's Day to Ward. I think he's right--raising kids seems to be more of an art than a science. Each one seems to need a different approach. I think that one of the things he has done well (and so does my husband) is to make a relationship with his kids a priority. It's obvious that family is important to both of you and your boys certainly have benefited from that!
ReplyDeleteYou're right. They are all different. You figure something out with one and then try it out with the other and it doesn't work at all.
DeleteYes, family has been a priority of ours. We always wanted our kids to know that they have a place where they belong--their family. Plus, it's kind of fun to get together with cousins, etc. who may have the same quirks you do.
What a wonderful tribute. You’re right about each kid needing to be patented differently. It’s part of the reason I never had a second one, I thought I’d have hell to pay for having such a good one the first time around.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you had something to do with your daughter being such a good kid. However, they do come out with a definite personality that we can't change. We can work with it, but can't change it. That's my experience, anyway.
DeleteThat was a nice little interview. He made perfectly sense.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to do a longer interview, but as I said he was busy at the time.
DeleteI love your interview with a dad for father's day. Terrific!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure what to do for a Father's Day post. With recent passings of my mother, an aunt, and an uncle, I feel like I've been talking too much about dying and the past recently. So I decided to talk to my husband about being a father instead of doing a memorial.
DeleteGreat interview! We often hear things from the mother's point of view and not so much from a father's perspective. I think you should do a follow up interview - when he's not so busy, of course :)
ReplyDeleteI would like to do a followup interview, but we'll see. Ward doesn't think he has anything to say, so he's reluctant.
DeleteThis was a great Father's Day post! I think parenting is a system of trials and errors. When things work you do it again and if it doesn't well you try a different direction.
ReplyDeleteI think we all agree. There is no set way to parent and it is not easy.
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