Because June is the month of Father’s Day AND my anniversary (eighteen years of wedded bliss), I feel it is quite appropriate to take some time to honor my hubby.  He is the very best man I know and deserves heartfelt recognition for the incredible job he is doing as a father and a husband.

Ten Things I Know About My Kids’ Father

 1.  He cried when each of our children were born.  As a matter of fact, he honestly wept when the first born, our daughter, finally made her appearance.  I knew right then and there that he would make a great daddy.

2.  He prays for and with our kids every day.  This is teaching them some very important lessons.  First, they are learning that prayer is vitally important to a life lived abundantly.   Also, they hear with their own ears how important each one of them is to Dad as he prays for them.   And finally, they are learning how much God cares for them and the details of their lives – details like lost retainers, difficult teachers, and friend issues.  My hubby does a great job of teaching by example when it comes to prayer.

3.  For years, he handled the morning shift of kid duty so that I could leave at 6AM for my part-time job.  This involved getting up to three children under the age of six out of bed, dressed, and fed before 8AM.  All this was done while he attempted to get himself ready for his day of work – shirt, tie, dress pants, the works.  Once ready to go, he had to corral the squirmy munchins into their respective car seats with all the required diaper bags and paraphernalia and chauffer them to Grandma’s, the babysitter’s or daycare.  I know this was an extremely stressful time for him but he did it without complaint.

4.  He is almost always the first one awake if one of the kids stirs in the middle of the night.  Even now, with our youngest son almost nine years old, no one even gets up to use the privy without Dad knowing about it.  I feel very safe in the knowledge that nobody – child or thief – will be able to sneak around our home unnoticed.

5.  He is very involved in the educational process.  From the time the kids were in preschool, he has made every effort to be at parent/teacher conferences, band concerts, and school plays.  He has helped in the classroom on occasion, chaperoned field trips and helped with Sport and Spirit Day.  He is definitely the “Go To” guy for science fair projects and math homework.   He is not over the top.  He does not hover.  But our kids know that he cares about their education.

6.  He is playful and knows how to have a good time with the kids.   When our daughter was younger and he had more hair, he would let her wash his hair and style it – with barrettes, ponytails and tiaras. He is always willing to play kickball or stickball in the back yard.  And he does potty humor like a pro.  This, of course, is a huge hit with the boys.  I think laughter is a great gift to share with your kids.

7.  He is a great encourager, giving compliments to our kids when they look good or accomplish something.  He is also very skilled at helping the kids gain a balanced perspective when they are disappointed in themselves or the world around them.  My hubby is a very wise man and our kids benefit from his wisdom on a regular basis.  They may not appreciate it very much now, but I know some day they will.

8.  If he leaves for work extra early, he calls our daughter to wish her a good day at school.  The two of them are usually the first people up in our family in the morning and they spend those quiet moments together preparing for the day ahead.  I think it is such a sweet gesture that he checks in with her by phone if he can’t be there in person to give her a hug.

9.  He is willing to set aside more urgent things to throw ball or pitch for batting practice with the boys when they ask.  I can’t decide if this is a true sacrifice or not.  My hubby loves baseball and loves that his sons love baseball.  Throwing ball around in the backyard really is not a hardship for him.  But the boys have the uncanny knack of asking Dad when he has 101 more pressing things to do or when the stresses of the day are wearing him down.  And yet, more often than not, he will still do it.  Whether it is a sacrifice or not, taking the time to be with his sons means the world to them and creates memories they will have forever.

10.  Every day, with words and actions, my husband shows our kids how much he loves me, their mother.   He believes that is one of the very best things he can do as a father and he takes it seriously.  (His father gave him this piece of advice, by the way.)  The kids don’t particularly like all the hugging and kissing now that they are older and know a few things about the facts of life.  But there is no doubt in their minds how Mom and Dad feel about each other.  And there is a feeling of security for them that our mutual affection and respect creates that probably can’t be demonstrated any other way.  By the way, I benefit from this at least as much as the kids do.

Did I marry the perfect man?  Do my kids have the perfect father?  Um, no.  But I’m far from perfect myself and so are my three chicks.  We don’t expect perfection.  What we do have is a man who strives to live a godly and excellent life and does it pretty well.  And we all benefit from his attempts to love and care for us.  Today I thank God for my husband and the father of my children.  He fills our lives with love, humor, and an enthusiastic passion for life and I could not have asked for a better man to spend my life with.