My young hubby with two of our sweetie-pies way back when….How can we possibly balance life with ear infections, crazy schedules, nonstop chatter, and create a Delightful Dad’s Day? Oh my! Married, single, working, or stay at home, with toddlers or teens, all moms want our own Father’s Day Fabulous!
Anna Krafve Pierce joined me recently on Fireside Talk Radio to share some simple and freedom-packed ideas. She started with a story about the potential of self-fulfilling prophesies.
Delightful Dads
“Sometimes, the phrase self-fulfilling prophesies has negative connotations,” she laughs, “but they can have a positive impact, too.” For example, she tells how her husband responds each time stories of his toddlerhood pop up. Apparently, he was active child. Of course, mercifully, he doesn’t remember the details.
“I was delightful,” he always concludes any stories from his youth. Naturally, as a new mom-in-law, I adopted Delightful as my nickname for this fine leader.
“When we had kids of our own it was just the obvious thing to describe them as delightful,” laughs Anna, happily reporting that her kids fulfill the prophesy. Plus, “God delights in us, too,” she affirms.
Confession: I’m a Father’s Day Failure
If you’re stumped about what to do for Father’s Day, you are not alone. Personally, I wasted a lot of time using Father’s Day to train my husband, so he could do a better job of surprising me for the next Mother’s Day! Eventually, I thought to ask him what he liked best about Father’s Day.
“Father’s Day was never about me. It was always about the kids,” he answered as sweetly and honestly as can be! With freedom in mind, we came up with some easy-does-it ways to honor the father of your kiddos, no matter your situation. (Click here to sign up for more weekly fun ideas and encouragement.)
Fortunately for mothers everywhere, hilarious stories come with the motherhood territory. Stories can be an easy way to honor Dad.
#1 Begin with a Delightful Story
“I’ve started telling them (Anna’s kids) stories on Father’s Day,” Anna explains, “Plus, I’m collecting his (her husband’s) quotes.” She zeroes in on stories recounting his successes. Now, their kids beg for repeats of their favorite Dad stories. Don’t forget to video the stories!
Additionally, by collecting wisdom from various sources, the people you honor will feel blessed. Plus, your kids can replay their wisdom often, as a cherished video keepsake. Win-win-win!
Speaking of videos, your children may want to prepare an annual tribute to their father. Even if he lives far away or travels with his work, hitting replay will encouraged him to foster his relationship with his kids. (For more of Anna’s activities for kids, click here to find our podcasts.)
#2 A Good Laugh
Laughter restores our soul. Why not write down the hilarious things your toddlers say about Daddy? For teens, a collection of jokes in a booklet makes a terrific and thoughtful present, especially when the jokes are personally edited to fit their dad’s favorite pastimes.
#3 The Way to a Man’s Heart: A Picnic
Picnics, deviled eggs, the great outdoors? Truly, nothing puts a smile on a man’s face like a huge sandwich with all the condiments. Unless, you include his best friend’s family, too. Even in his own backyard, if you throw in some family sports, like whiffle ball, disk golf, or extreme croquette, he’ll enjoy a holiday to remember.
#4 Picturing Happiness
In a different kind of surprise, Family photos taped everywhere might delight Dad with a happy treat. At our house, my hubby habitually tapes family photos to all surfaces. No painting or mirror escapes his collection.
“I have a theory that you’re saving money, like on counseling or something,” Anna laughs, “Every time Dad sees those photos of us as little ones, it’s a little endorphin rush because it’s associated with such sweet emotions and memories for him.” Yep, it’s quirky. But this is the man who thinks Father’s Day is all about the kids.
Being Single and Awesome
Many women grieve over the idea that there is not a man in their homes to shepherd their kids. On Father’s Day, we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge our many friends who are single-handedly raising kiddos.
“God is a Good Father to us even when we don’t have an earthly father who’s there for us,” says Anna, having watched closely as friends rocked the single parent role.
For instance, my dear friend, media guru Sandra Beck shared some great tips on how to recruit good men without overwhelming them to minister to your sons. (For Father’s Day, why not give yourself the blessing of her wisdom on how to be your family’s champion.)
Wisely, Sandra suggests clarifying the limits of your request. Being single and awesome means you can ask for help without imposing.
All the Good Men
It’s so important to honor all the good man in our lives. They’re out there! Case in point, James Kemp came on Fireside Talk Radio to talk about impacting kids beyond your own family. Through the chess clubs they’ve started all over Dallas and surrounding areas, he demonstrates how we can stand in for families. (For more from James about legacy building for creatives, click here.)
Of course, mentoring programs also offer positive male influences, as Civic Leader Tony Johnson pointed out. (Click here, to find Tony’s wisdom on how good men and women team up to mentor together in the school lunchroom.)
Romance is Alive, Even When Child Raising is Hard
“You used to say that one of the most romantic things you ever did together was be parents,” confides Anna in our Father’s Day episode of FTR. “I didn’t get it until I was parent myself.”
To be honest, I’ve gotta admit when Dave and I stole a quiet moment away from the kiddos, pressing issues always popped up to spoil the mood. For us, date night seemed to end in bickering. (For weekly ideas to get past bickering and create rich companionship, click here.) So, why call parenting romantic?
Anna thinks romance exists in all the shared things, so she made a list: “shared delight, shared sacrifices, shared struggles, shared prayers.”
Share the Love
“If you can find someone to share some of it with; it’s the same feeling,” explains Anna. “I can share all those things with God. I share all those things with you, too.” Whether you call it romance, unity, or companionship, Anna nailed something important.
“There’s this fellowship that happens because children exist,” clarifies Anna, “As parents, you get a front row seat on this.” Anna calls this the “beautiful creative process where we’re just taking after our own creative heavenly Father.” Grandparents, friends, trustworthy neighbors, esteemed elders can all join in the companionship created by raising kiddos.
“When you’re exhausted and don’t have time for what the world says is romantic, chocolate and wine and candlelight, the daily things can be romantic. It’s an incredible endeavor you’re doing together,” she emphasizes.
Now, in honor of dads everywhere, let’s conclude with a couple more quick, practical gift ideas. (For weekly tips, click here.)
Two More Quick Gift Ideas
“Two weeks before the big day I asked my son, ‘Do you want to buy your dad a present?’” explains Anna. Since he answered yes, her son spent a week earning coins. Then, he didn’t want to buy anything with them, he just wanted to give his dad the money.
“My son instinctively knew what would speak to him (his dad),” laughed Anna about the way her husband is training their son to save money.
If you’re still wondering what to do, here’s one quick go-to idea from our family. We love painted rocks! Kids think it’s terrific to make anything that involves paint. Plus, you can create them outside where there’s almost no clean up. Then, hiding them can be a family adventure.
My most treasured rock finds came from hospice when my mom was passing on to heaven.For that reason alone, although it may sound silly, I think painted rocks are a wonderful way to bless others! You just never know what another person may need! Everyone can create a rock to share on Dad’s Day, the day we celebrate the Rock in our lives! Why not make it a theme and add rock and roll music!
Whatever your circumstances, please remember you have a Father in heaven who loves you very much. He designed you for creativity and to be a positive influence for pure good in our world. Most of all, He designed you for companionship with Him. That’s the Fabulous Father you have and the Delightful Dad you get to share with your children!
May we pray together?
Dear Good Father in heaven, You love us faithfully and tenderly. Thank You for being a Father we can trust. We honor You now as the Ultimate Parent. Give us grace to be creative, as we look to Your example. Help us put away any residual pain or bitterness from the past and soak up today’s joy. May we be kids who reflect our Father’s unbounded love and delight in each of His children. Please surround us with trustworthy friends who can joyfully unite in our parenting endeavors. Help us honor the good men in our life. May we express Your delight to our own kids. In Jesus’s name. Amen
We love to hear from you?
What are some of your most profound Father’s Day memories? How will you jazz up Father’s day to honor someone else? How are you praying for something special this year?
To sign up for weekly ideas on creating fellowship in your family and warming up the companionship in your life, click here. You a welcome companion in all our conversational adventures!!
Cathy Krafve, Columnist, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, and Christian Writer, invites your stories, ideas, and questions at CathyKrafve.com. Truth with a Texas Twang.
