In a nod to the wisdom of fathers, I’m passing along this from Aaron Unterreiner’s sports column in Sunday’s paper. In it, he shares his dad’s list of 26 ”Secrets to Success in Raising Kids.” I don’t know Mr. Unterreiner, but I know his son, and I’d say he got it right. Here’s his secrets (click here to read Aaron’s full column):

1. Above all, be friends with your kids — good friends.

2. Teach them to never be afraid to feel and to share their emotions.

3. Show them the beauty of love — all kinds of love.

4. Hug them often, and with meaning.

5. Tell them your stories; let them know your life.

6. Listen to their stories; work to understand their feelings.

7. Earn their respect; be their example.

8. Teach them respect for all of life.

9. Spend time alone with them.

10. Pray with them; teach them the goodness of God.

11. Do something wild with them, something only a good friend would do.

12. Encourage them to write.

13. Cry with them; laugh with them.

14. Run with them.

15. Teach them family tradition; gather often as a family.

16. Encourage them to be involved in life and involve yourself in all they do.

17. Hit fly balls to them.

18. Treat them like equals, and watch them rise to the challenge.

19. Show them how to stay one step ahead; teach them to be leaders.

20. Help them with the realities of life, not what you may want life to be.

21. Be friends with their friends.

22. Let them live their life, but hold their hand when their hands need holding.

23. Be firm in your beliefs; they only know what you and the world teaches them.

24. Teach them there are no bounds to life; they can be what they want to be.

25. Kiss them good night, and hug them in the morning.

26. Take this job and its responsibilities seriously — the rewards for success are awesome; the consequences of failure are devastating.

Tags: Relationships

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