Be sure and watch this video to the end. It has a powerful ending and convicting message to fathers.

Here’s a post on the topic of “back-to-school” with relevance for us dads. There is so much we could cover on this topic of school, but since you’re busy, I’ll just touch on a few key things…

For Dads Who Homeschool

For those dads who home school, like our family does, our wives typically do more of the actual subject instruction than we do. One of the things that can help her MOST on a practical level is our involvement in the planning process.

Discussing and planning the subjects each of our children will take this year, choosing the actual curriculum, and the concepts we want them to grasp. And praying together for each of our children’s school year, and for our wives as they teach.

A friend of mine plans a get-away weekend with his wife to go over all these things. It is THAT important to them. I admire his level of being intentional and proactively involved in the education of his children. He takes responsibility for his family. He also teaches several of their subjects… math, Bible, etc.

Why not block out an evening, a full day, or an entire weekend for one-on-one time with your wife to interact on this extremely important topic? What would doing this with your wife, communicate to her in terms of how much you value the education of your children and the primary role she plays in that?!

Also, we need to stay involved on a weekly basis with our wives and not let her shoulder this responsibility alone. Ask her each evening how school went that day, and then LISTEN to her talk… not necessarily to problem-solve… but so she can just “unload” to another adult about her day.

Remember, she is surrounded by children all day and needs time with another adult. It is important that she stay connected with other moms too on a weekly basis whom she can hang out with, trade stories, and encourage one another.

For Dads Whose Kids Attend Public/Private School

If your family doesn’t homeschool, your situation is a bit different. Since other adults will be instructing your children, it is important for you, dad, to be very aware of what they are learning and being exposed to, how they are doing with their homework, what help they need, and for them to know of your support and interest in their schooling.

Read their course syllabus, talk to them about their teacher(s), their classes, their friends, sports, extra-curricular activities, etc., not to come across nosey, but because you care and want to be involved in their world. Help them with the tough subjects and concepts they aren’t grasping — and do it with patience in love!

Resist The BIG Temptation

Regardless of your chosen schooling method, one of the biggest temptations for us dads is to just let the school year go on “auto-pilot” and before we know it, it’s time for Christmas break!

Since we dads are focused on our work and have our own fires to put out every day at the office or jobsite, it is *very* easy to be passive about our children’s school year.

School is a big deal to our children and our wives. Let’s make it a big deal to us dads too! It’s one of the best ways we can show them we LOVE and affirm them.

Here’s a great book for ALL dads to read to help us encourage our wives in practical ways on a regular basis. It’s short. And funny too!

cartoon by Family Dad Todd Wilson

“Duct Tape Dad” is a true story that will encourage dads to continue doing all those little things we think our children never notice or appreciate. We really are impacting their lives, even when we don’t think we are. So keep loving and enjoying them day in and day out! And when they’re grown up, they’ll have memories of their dad like this one.

This past Saturday, Valentine’s Day, was an opportunity for many of us dads to be creative and express our love to our wife and/or our children in a fun, special way.

Some dads used the My Wife Journal and took their wife out on a special romantic date. (If you didn’t take advantage of this tool, it’s a great little guide to use on any date with your wife!)

If you were one of these dads, my hat’s off to you!

At our home, we baked “heart cookies” and gave small gifts and personally-written cards to one another over a leisurely Saturday morning breakfast.

That evening, I took my wife out for some one-on-one time, shopping for her, and we sat down over dessert to discuss much-needed vision for our family and our future.

If you did something that was especially meaningful to your wife and/or your children on Valentine’s Day, why not share it with the rest of us and encourage a bunch of other dads?! If you used the My Wife Journal, tell us how it went!

Write up your story and email it to me. If I select yours to share with the FamilyDads list, not only will we all get to read your great story, but you’ll also win a copy of Todd Wilson’s excellent book, Father Power, compliments of DadResources.com. (This book is one of my most favorite of all books for dads to read!)

Also, I just received permission to post an audio online of a message that was recently given regarding this year 2009 that I think will be a tremendous challenge and encouragement to you as it relates to your faith and your finances. I’ll share the link to the audio later this week!

When I was growing up, my mom took advantage of Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to communicate her love to my sister, my brother, and I.  Each year, she woke up early and set small gifts at the breakfast table along with a handwritten note or card that basically were meant to say “I Love You.”

As a 38-year-old grown man now who can still recall these memories, they obviously left meaningful impressions on me. My wife and I do the same thing for our children now, and we hope this tradition will pass down to our next generation.

What we do is go to a local grocery store or shopping center (without our children with us!) and look for small inexpensive items that will express our love to each of them.

Examples of gifts include things like stickers, coloring books, a chocolate bar, or some little trinket from the “Valentine’s Day” aisle in the store. If you have older children, it’s a little bit more challenging, so think about their likes and interests and just be creative.

You can spend as little or as much as you want on each child. It’s not the amount that is important, but rather the thought that counts.

The night before Valentine’s Day, we place the items on the breakfast table at each of their seats with a short love note from us. And we date the note so they can keep it in their “memory shoe box” and look back on it years later.

This simple and inexpensive expression communicates to your children… “Your father and mother love you and want to show it on this special day in this special, fun way!”

It will leave a greater impression on them than you know.

Dad, don’t forget your special woman on Valentine’s Day too! Think flowers and a date! Romance her!

Blessings on your family,
Joey Watkins
Founder, FamilyDads

FamilyDads is a dad-founded and dad-focused organization committed to helping dads prioritize and lead ther family. Signup for the FamilyDads e-Newsletter at http://www.FamilyDads.com