there every day, bursting whatever is burst, to put food on the table and wifey is doing same, not that she is an alpha male though, believe me you are lucky. God loves you, and the planet is aligned in your favour. The child is sick, stay home this time, not wife. Simple as abc. I hope you get this; you might never get this chance ever again. Forget hustling, just stock up on medication and a few games and enjoy some unscheduled parenting time. I know staying home with a sick kid, can be hard to arrange with work and really doesn’t sound like fun, is a great way to bond.

Eat Something Weird

As a parent you’re so often trying to convince your kids to try new foods or even eat at all. I will spare you all the story of how many and the kind of shenanigans hubby and I got up to, to get our little prince in shining amour to eat when he was a wee one. Now he eats down the house, oh, the old times!!! But really take a go at that ‘okpa’ and who knows? Leadership by example, it’s often said. Bonus; you might get them to eating healthy, but that’s if it is what you do yourself.

Inner Child Time

If she is a girl, do something distinctly girlie with her and vice versa. Take her to the salon/hair place to get her hair braided, and do not just dump her and get talking on your phone the whole time, setting up deals. Build that lego like a pro and run around with it and make airplane noises with your mouth, if you have to. Engage with the process and moment. It’s the memory people, the memory.

Conquer Fears (Yours or Theirs)

Calmly squashing that cockroach underneath your shoes, will set a tone. It’s man versus cockroaches and everything else that flies, and man always wins, hopefully. No swashbuckling no good dude is going to use this one on her in future or even presently, she got this covered, courtesy dad. Work harder man. There’s nothing quite like the experience of overcoming your own fear-or pretending to-in order to keep your kids from being afraid. Do the groundwork so your children won’t be scared by things you were scared of as a child.

Do What They Want

One of my favorite sights in the world is when my hubby sits on the sofa patiently watching Disney with my daughter or when my husband, daughter and son are throwing lines of movies they have watched back and forth, and cracking up about it. As a dad, you’re going to watch shows and movies you don’t want to see, go to parties you don’t want to go to and eat food that aren’t geared for you-but your participation means the world to your children. Suggestion; occasionally let the kids decide what the whole family does. Can you handle that?

Talk to Your Kids

A favorite thing of mine is talking to my children, always, always fun. I mean random talks about nothing in particular. Dads are known for ‘talks’ especially when

things are not going right, but also there’s a place for bantering that could actually unearth very significant information. My son cracks me up to no end and my daughter’s malapropisms when she was younger is a treasure forever. Come on guys, be a man and talk, not just that type.

Take Your Child to Work

My husband scores an A on this one. If he could and had the time, he always took the children to his office and even friends. Kids are fascinated by what you do when you’re not around. If possible, letting your children spend a few hours in the office with you will provide great fun for them as well as you. I hope your co-workers love it too, and not turn into party poopers but you cannot be responsible for their feelings too, the child is already a handful.

Teach Your Kid to Drive

Apparently, its universal world-wide: Dads are the ones to teach their children during first tries at spins behind the wheel. Again, do not leave this one for your driver. Can I say it enough; it’s your child, not his.

Celebrate Graduations and Milestones, Large and Small
We celebrate birthdays here in Lagos like no other place that I know of. But do you not think it proper to make a big deal out of every accomplishment. Dads need to step up on this one, the school event is not a mom’s event, it’s a parent’s event; father and mother. Be there when your kid comes last on the egg and spoon race, cheering wildly from the sidelines, even if they forget the race and head towards you. Scoop them up and plant a big one on their cheek, after all with you they always win. Remember, children in today’s world get much more formal, outside-the-home education than they have in previous societies, and fathers may play greater roles and find meaning being involved in a child’s transitions through the formal education process.Now that we are on the same page, we agree we’ll be there at the after school whatever it is and the graduations also

Walk Your Daughter Down the Aisle

All these years and finally we are here, who else could make this day complete?

Travel, Eat, Shop… (Without Paying)

Someday your child will grow up, get a job, realize how much you’ve done for him or her, and, if they’re in a position to do so, start footing the bill for family holidays, occasions and other events. Brilliant. And they thought this day will never come..ha! Who’s having the last laugh?

Know You Did Good

I took it for granted, that I knew that family mattered, but when I got married, my husband reinforced it over and over in words to me and the children. I got it and I hope they also did, because then dear daddy, you could rest easy in the work you have done thus far. You have done well and good.

We’re all parents, but we’re also children, so after reading this, take time out and say, “Thanks, Dad, Father, Papa, ! I love you”