1. That I love God
I want my kids to know that I believe in a God, who created the Universe and created me to know him. The way that I live, the decisions that I make, the way that I spend money, and the way that we interact with our neighbors all flow from my relationship with God.
2. That I love their mom
This summer I will celebrate 19 years of marriage. For the fourteen years that we have had children, my kids have seen me love and prioritize my wife. I want my kids to see me put their mom before myself. I want them to see the committed, love relationship that exists between us. I want them to see us be affectionate with each other.
3. That I love them
Daily, I tell my kids that I love them, and I work hard to show them that I love them. When correcting my kids, I labor to make sure that they feel and experience love from me. I want my daughters to feel loved by me and to not look for inappropriate love from another man. I want my sons to know that I love them and value them.
4. That I work hard
God created us to work. My kids would love for me to hang with them all day every day. I do spend a lot of time with them, but they also see me work. In parenting them, I continually explain to them the value of hard work.
5. That I care about other people
The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. As a family, we prioritize showing love to other people. I want my kids to see me model this. We strive to know and care about our neighbors, we look to build and grow friendships, we are committed to loving our extended family members.
6. That I tell the truth
I am constantly telling my kids to tell the truth. Telling the truth is sometimes difficult. I work hard to model truth-telling for my kids, teach them the importance of keeping their word, and commit to model speaking the truth in love.
7. That I apologize when I am wrong
Being wrong is hard, but I am an expert at it. I have apologized to my kids many times when I was wrong. I have apologized to their mom in front of them when I was wrong. In doing this, I explain the importance of taking responsibility for your actions.
What are your thoughts? What do you see as important? Comment and continue the conversation!
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