Leveled Up Fatherhood

You might think this is clickbait. It’s really not. There is one easy way to be the World’s Greatest Dad to your child. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how old your son or daughter is. It doesn’t matter if you’re weak or strong, funny or soft spoken, athletic or artistic or none of the above. It requires one thing and one thing only. Time.

Specifically, it requires your time. And not just any time. It requires quality time. What do I mean by quality time? I mean time you sacrifice doing something else and devoting your attention and presence to your kid. We talk a lot about presence here at leveled up fatherhood. Presence Over Presents.

Your child wants a lot of things in life but what they need most from you outside of life’s basic necessities? Your love. Unconditional unwavering love followed by your attention. Focus on that last word – attention.

When you take time to spend it with your child, don’t waste it. Don’t go to a baseball game and text all game. Don’t go to a dance recital and doze off. Don’t eat dinner with them and watch tv the entire time. Put everything else down and live in that moment day after day after day.

Time is the most precious commodity we have. When someone loses a parent, regardless of their demographics, they won’t say, “I wish my dad had more money” or “I wish my dad had a cooler job” or “I wish my dad more muscles”. What they will say is simply, “I wish my dad had more time”. Time to make up for lost opportunities together, time for one more hug, one more story. All kids want a lot, but what kids really need most is your love and your time.

Kids need validation to build confidence and love to feel safe. When you are with them let them be seen. Be interested in what they are passionate about. Don’t have them tag along to do what you want to do or talk about what you want to talk about. Be interested in what they like. Ask them about their life. Put as much effort into them and their interests as you do your job, then put in more. If you want to see your kid grow and prosper then you have to put in the work like anything else, and the work isn’t money or presents or physical things, it’s your time. Go do what they love even if you don’t and show them that it doesn’t matter if it’s not your favorite thing because your favorite is being with them. Do this over and over and over and over, and you’ll be their world’s greatest dad. Be what they need you to be, and that is someone who loves unconditionally, and gives up life’s most precious commodity just for them… time.