Kindhood Celebrates You
Dear Dads,
Protection
Whenever you make your kids feel safe, you are teaching them how it feels to be protected and what it looks like to protect the ones you love.
Whether your kids are scared of things that can hurt them, like wasps, or the unknown, like a scary shadow under the bed, your approach to their fears has the power to shape how they respond to fear in the future.
When you "remove" the wasp from the premises, you teach your kids bravery.
When you reveal the true nature of the shadow, you teach your kids curiosity.
When you soothe their fears, you teach them what true safety feels like.
Affection
You may remember a relationship you had with your own father or father-figure. If it was healthy, or even if it was only a tangentially healthy relationship, you probably have treasured memories of when he hugged you, encouraged you, or shared his pride in who you became.
Moments that you may not even realize are noteworthy can become time capsules that your kids will carry with them for the days ahead.
A side hug with a quick, "Proud of you, girl!" after a soccer match can carry your daughter through both the tough and triumphant games ahead.
A smile and "That's my boy!" to other parents where you share your pride in your son's academic achievements can bolster him through the long study nights on future exams.
Sometimes even the moments you think they don't notice, like when you carry their sleeping form from the couch to their bed, become cozy and warm impressions they treasure in their hearts for years to come.
When you choose to show your heart, you create a firm foundation for your kids to bravely show their hearts in turn.
Belief
The power of belief can be, well, unbelievable.
The story of the 4-minute mile shows us that the human mind is a great determiner of what is possible. Before Roger Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes, scholars and athletes believed it to be an impossible feat. They theorized and hemmed and hawed and listed all the reasons why the human body could not reach faster speeds.
Then Roger Bannister ran a four minute mile anyways.
And within two months, someone else ran a four minute mile. And within a year, three more racers did it again in the same race. And within the next fifty years over a thousand other people accomplished the impossible.
It may not seem like a big deal to you when you encourage your kids to reach the extra stretch to grab a toy off the counter, or when you tell them they CAN make the sand moat on the beach a bit deeper. But what you are showing them in these small moments is that the limits in their head don't have the final say.
So Dads. We'll say it again and again. We love you. We appreciate you. And you make a difference every day in every single little way.
XOXO,
Kindhood
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