May’s Dad of the Month

May's Dad of the Month is Dan (@danmatthew71)! He is a dad and a husband, living in the United States of America with his wife and 7 month old son. A self described family man, he enjoys woodworking and building things. He and his wife are in the process of buying their first hou

By Your Bro · · Guy Stuff

May’s Dad of the Month
May's Dad of the Month is Dan (@danmatthew71)! He is a dad and a husband, living in the United States of America with his wife and 7 month old son. A self described family man, he enjoys woodworking and building things. He and his wife are in the process of buying their first house, a fixer upper project. Having an infant who just started to crawl has made things a bit busy for them right now.

Key Takeaways

  • Parenthood is a meaningful commitment that offers rewards surpassing the difficulties of infant care.
  • Effective parenting involves teaching children foundational values like hard work, perseverance, and kindness.
  • Correcting bad behavior early is essential to preventing children from becoming disrespectful or selfish.
  • Strong paternal bonds are often reinforced through physical comfort, such as rocking an infant to sleep.
Like many young men today, he remembers turning 20 years old and realizing how backwards everything had become, culturally and practically. All of the messaging was: more higher education, more debt, more progressive foolishness, less masculinity. Like any good man, naturally, he decided to do the opposite.  Dan packed his bags, moved across the country, married his wife, and began his family. Fast forward and now they have a 7 month old son who has taught him more about life than he could have ever dreamed... and as all parents know - kids are a handful. Dan and his wife are still in the thick of diapers, nap times, baby food and strollers, but one thing he emphasizes is that parenthood is one of the best things you can ever do. It's not easy, but it's also not as hard as it may seem.

What is the best way to raise a child with good character?

Dan believes the best way to raise a child is to actively teach the values of hard work, perseverance, and generosity. This requires parents to stay diligent in correcting bad behavior so children do not become selfish or disrespectful. Consistency in discipline and modeling kindness are the primary tools for ensuring a child grows up the right way.
Dan believes in raising your kids the right way. "Teach them the value of hard work, perseverance generosity, kindness and graciousness. Most of this will come naturally, but it's important you don't let them misbehave and become a terror. I think we can all agree there's enough selfishness, competitiveness, and disrespect in the world; it comes back down on parents raising their kids to be kind, instead of having an entire childhood of bad behavior."
Dan references a lecture by Dr. Jordan Peterson, in which he made an illustration about the oft neglected portrayal of little boys and girls ability to be brave and noble. This notion was successfully depicted in movies such as The Polar Express and Harry Potter. Dan says it's worth the effort to correct bad behavior and teach them good values. His favorite part about being a Dad is rocking his son to sleep. Being that infants will cry (possibly hysterically) when you set them down to go to sleep on their own, parents need to have a strategy to ensure their baby can get a good night's rest. Everyone has a different approach, but for Dan. being able to scoop up his boy and see him close his eyes and actually go to sleep because dad is holding him is priceless. He says no amount of money can replace that special reality. We salute you for being a great Dad, Dan! Congrats.

—Your Bro