An Emotionally Present Father

A voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

Mark 1:11

LET’S FACE IT. As men, we want to be proficient and successful in the things we undertake. As a result, we often navigate toward situations and circumstances in which we are comfortable and have the greatest chance of success. Because the emotional landscape is often unfamiliar and uncharted territory, we often pull back and avoid it because of our fear of failure or the unknown. No one wants to be exposed as lacking; no one wants to fail.

Being in touch with our emotions is critical, especially as it relates to raising our children. Children need the emotional support of their father when they experience joy, sadness, anger, fear, and frustration. An emotionally engaged father helps his children verbally label all of these emotions and work through them. Our children need to know that they are highly valued because of who they are, not because of what they may or may not be feeling at a particular moment.

In order to teach our children how to verbally label their emotions, we first have to be able to label our own. This skill may not have been modeled for us growing up, so it probably will not come naturally. It will take courage to begin to engage the world around us emotionally and to step into this unfamiliar territory. We might be in the minority, but our children and families are worth it.

BOTTOM LINE

Make sure you understand your own emotions so you can better help your kids deal with theirs.

Moment of Strength: John 10:30