They’re only going to ask you so many times: to get in the pool with them, to sit next to them, to help with their homework, to talk about the problem they’re having.
No, not because you only get a certain number of summers and car rides and moments with your kids, like we’ve talked about. They’re only going to ask you so many times, because at some point they’re going to get the message.
Dad is too busy. Dad isn’t any fun anymore. Dad can’t be trusted. Dad judges. Dad isn’t actually a good person to ask.
So you can’t defer the opportunity to answer till later. You can’t afford to lose your temper because this is the nth time they’ve asked. You can’t give anything less than your best, your most present, your most fun self. Because this ask—in this moment—is it.
It’s your chance. You can’t waste it. You can’t send them the wrong message. You have to seize it. You have to show them who you are.
P.S. This was originally sent on March 11, 2021. Sign up today for the Daily Dad’s email and get our popular 11 page eBook, “20 Things Great Dads Do Everyday.”
