From time to time I hear dads say, "My kids are young, so I'll leave them to my wife for now. When they are 12 or so, I'll get more involved." This could be the dumbest statement I've ever heard. If you think you can have minimal interaction with your kids while they are young and then step in and be a hero when they are 12, you are smoking some serious stuff. If you try this, don't be surprised when your kid wants nothing to do with you. You can't reject a kid for 10 to 12 years and think they are going to be all excited about you getting involved all of a sudden. If you want a good relationship with your kids when they are 12, then you better start now. Invest serious time with each of your children and take an interest in what they are interested in. I often hear people say, "It's not the quantity, but the quality of time I spend with my kids that counts." Yet again, stupid talk. You will never have the quality if you don't have the quantity. The quality times arise because a dad is spending a good quantity of time with his kids. So if you are one of those dads that thinks he'll wait until the kids are older and you have no interest in changing, return your fathering card because you have no business being a dad. Or, you can swallow some pride and start participating in the lives of your kids now and be way ahead of the game when they are 12. I pray you choose right.
