What Makes a Great Dad

I recently asked my kids during our home school morning to write about what makes a great dad. As I read my son’s response, I was reminded that kids aren’t looking for someone with perfect character. They aren’t looking for a dad who is amazing at sports. They aren’t even looking for someone to buy them all the best toys.

What they are looking for is time together.

“What makes a great dad is a dad that will go play basketball. A great dad is a dad that will play video games with you. Now that’s a great dad.” — Joshua Price, 11 years old

Time is one of our most precious gifts. In adulthood, time seems to be the one thing that we can never find enough of. And yet, it’s the best gift we can give to the ones we love. I believe that means we better make time together top priority.

I’ve watched my husband do this well with our kids—from taking them to the movies to including them in special projects he’s working on around the house or camping with them when he’s exhausted after a hard week’s work.

Great Dads Spend Time Together with Their Kids

It’s in those moments when learning takes place, when we’re able to impart to our kids what it means to live a life following after Jesus, when the questions of life arise and “real” talk happens.

You shall teach them [the Commandments] to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. — Deuteronomy 11:19

Dads remember that simply being present and spending time together is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your children. It’s a long-term investment into their lives that you will never regret.

One great way for Dads and kids to spend time together is reading from God’s Word. Tommy Nelson has some kids’ Bibles that are perfect for this! The Nature Bible is a kid-tested and kid-approved version to check out, and since it has a cloth case and zipper, dads can take it outdoors with their kids during all those outdoor adventures and camping trips!

Your Turn

How do you try to spend more quality time with your children? We’d love to hear ideas from working and non-working moms and dads about how you focus on carving out quality time in your busy lives.