Episode #53: MP - Grateful for Fathers

 Episode #53: MP - Grateful for Fathers

Today happens to be Father's Day as I record this episode so I thought I would spend a little time celebrating the dad's out there listening or the dad's you know and love. 

I feel so lucky to work with fathers more than I ever could as a teacher. Dads bring so much to families and they don't always get the credit that they deserve. 

Fathers are most often the ones who are looking long term into the future for their child and family. They are often considering finances combined with self-sufficiency. These longer term goals or visions can be incredibly helpful for determining what needs to be targeted today to get to those long term dreams. allowing fathers into the conversation about individual education planning (or IEPs) can help the full team consider life beyond the classroom into adulthood. 

Fathers are also conversely often amazing at being in the moment with their kids. Stereotypically, it is he mother who keeps the to-do list going in her head and is multi-tasking at incredible levels. Fathers on the other hand can so often be playful, silly, and engaged without being distracted by the laundry or dinner needing attention. That playfulness is imperative for children to learn how to engage with their peers, for example, who are less predictable while being silly. 

Once when I was recommending playful obstructions to a father in his partnering and play with this son, he labeled them "plot twists" which I still use today and you'll read in my book. I loved that he completely understood that giving his son moments to practice surprise twists and turns within interactions would help him roll with them when he was in middle school with peers. 

Sometimes it is fathers who think of play as just that: play... rather than the essential platform of learning that it truly is. We now know through child development research that children who are encouraged to play and explore - making decisions for themselves and their partners, fair much better long term in being able to make decisions in life. 

Being immersed in the messiness of play prepares us for the messiness of life. 

So Dads, keep playing. Continue challenging your children to think, engage, and learn within those projects you have going and the silliness you bring. We need you, Dads. 

Happy Father's Day.

Till next time.....

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