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Winning at Fatherhood - Jackie Bledsoe | ASmithBlog.com

Jackie Bledsoe, Jr. | March 17, 2014 | 4 Comments

How to Win Big in Fatherhood – Jackie Bledsoe

Winning at Fatherhood - Jackie Bledsoe | ASmithBlog.com

 

Next to the relationship with our spouses, our relationship with our kids comes close behind. While I don’t believe we should make our kids relationship a priority over our spouse, it has a huge impact on the way your family will function.

Fathers need to be fully present

I believe the relationship a dad has with his kids sets the tone for the parental relationships of the family. You have read the statistics of what happens to kids and families when dad is not present in the home. I understand those statistics are based on when dad is not physically present. However, if we could measure the results of dad being physically present, but not actively engaged, we might find some pretty alarming numbers as well.

A team of dads playing for the same goal

One of the major goals of my writing is to help dads in this area. Leading your family is no easy task. It is a task that sometimes takes a team. If the team serves no other purpose than to remind you that you are not alone in this pursuit of being a better dad, then it has done well. Today, I have released my first eBook specifically geared toward helping dads become better dads. And because it is March, it has a special theme.

Sports fans know the significance of March for the world of sports. Yes, with the selection of teams for NCAA college basketball’s National Tournament yesterday, it is officially March Madness.

March DADness can help you win as a dad

What better way to reach dads than a March Madness themed book on fatherhood, right? I hope that my book will be an encouragement to dads who read, and provide them with some practical ways they can become winners at fatherhood.

The book is called, March DADness: Preparing Dads to Make a Championship Run in Fatherhood. It is available for free on my site, and includes 28 practical actions that will help dads become better. Below is an excerpt of the book which corresponds with the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament:

A special group of teams and dads

I looked up the definition of the word “elite.”  Here is what dictionary.com says:

“The choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons”

So as an elite dad, you are part of a group of dads who are the best at what you do.  A group of dads who have excelled at what they are doing, and surpassed the field.  One of the main reasons a dad is considered elite, is how well their kids perform.

Very few kids perform well in a discouraging environment filled with discouraging words.  Elite dads understand this and build the self-confidence of their kids through encouragement.

If you are a new dad, or working through the field to reach elite status, practice saying encouraging words to your kids.  I have compiled a list of things to say.  Words that will encourage your kids, build their self-confidence, and strengthen the bond you share.

You can grab your own free copy of March DADness here on my site. In addition, for those who love the NCAA tournament challenges and bracket busters, I have created a March Madness Bracket Challenge.

Join other parents aiming to be better

When you get my book you will also be given access to our private March DADness bracket challenge. You will compete with a group of like-minded parents for a chance to win some cool prizes from my March DADness sponsor, CoachUp.

So, hop over to my site, grab the book, and join the fun. Meanwhile, I’d love to hear your championship dad experience below…

Please share the greatest lesson your dad taught you, or the greatest lesson you will teach your kids in the comment section below, or tweet it to me with the hashtag #MarchDADness.

 

photo credit: Melissa Steep via photopin cc

Jackie Bledsoe, Jr. | November 25, 2013 | 8 Comments

10 Reasons I Am Thankful to Be a Husband and Dad

thankful_husband_dad

 

This Thursday many families will gather to enjoy their Thanksgiving meal and traditions. Some traditions will include sharing the things they are thankful for. Sometimes throughout the year we take our blessings for granted and sometimes we even view our blessings as burdens.

Blessings or burdens

Have you experienced the following? There is something you would like to watch on TV, like a game or action movie, but instead you are “forced” to have a conversation with your wife you wish could happen later.

Or, you have a project you are working on (home or work related), but your kids need daddy’s attention right now. It can be frustrating and if you aren’t careful, you could forget the blessings that your kids are and the favor your wife brings into your life.

Keep this in mind

That is dangerous ground you want to stay away from. Your wife and kids are the greatest “things” that have happened to you. When you are a married man with kids, you are favored and blessed unlike other men.

How your life changes when you get married…

The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
    and he receives favor from the Lord. – Proverbs 18:22

How your life changes when you have children…

Children are a gift from the Lord;
    they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man
    are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!  – Psalm 127:3-5

I am truly thankful to be married, and to have children. Years ago I wasn’t sure that I would ever get married. One, marriage didn’t cross my mind very often, if at all. And two, I just didn’t think anybody would want to marry me. But, after being married with kids for over 12 years, I know there is nothing like it.

I have much to be thankful for in this area.  Here are 10 reasons I am thankful to be a husband and a dad.

  1. I have someone in my wife, to share my life with. We were created to be relational and I couldn’t imagine not having someone to share life’s greatest ups and downs with. Or not having one person, but multiple, and not sure who you will share these moments with.
  2. I have people who look up to me. To some degree everyone wants somebody to look up to them. Having three kids means I have three people who think very highly of me. Even when they see me mess up, I am still their dad and I am still pretty awesome.
  3. I have someone to please. Happy wife, happy life right? I really enjoy meeting my wife’s needs and bringing joy to her. To be the one that makes her smile and make her feel good about herself is a big deal.
  4. I have people to teach life to. I am a teacher at heart. I enjoy learning, I enjoy seeing other people learn and I like to be a part of that process. Having the opportunity to help your children learn how to live life is an amazing blessing.
  5. I have someone to please me. Just like I enjoy making my wife happy, she enjoys making me happy too. It is special when someone sacrifices, or does things with the sole intent of making you feel good. A “wife of noble character” will do that.
  6. I get to see myself in my youth all over again. My kids are truly chips off the old block. Each one of my kids have physical, mental and emotional similarities to me. I watch and interact with them and see myself at that age, and the similarities are amazing!
  7. I have a larger family to love and be loved by. In-law relationships get a bad rap and sometimes undeserved. Being married means I have another mom and dad to love and respect, and vice-versa. I have siblings and cousins who become my family. My wife and I are from the same city and it is pretty cool to now be related to some people who were just previously friends and to meet “new” family.
  8. I get to learn from my kids. Our oldest child is 13-years-old and our other kids are 8 and 4-years-old. So most of the learning has been by them, but we frequently learn things from them, especially about ourselves. But as they are growing older we learn other things from them. The day the “pupil” becomes the “teacher” is going to be one day I will be really proud of.
  9. I eat way better than I did when single. My wife is a great cook! I believe I am a little spoiled as I probably get more home cooked meals than most. I cook occasionally, okay, I cook hardly at all. But my wife cooks daily and I am really thankful for it. This Thursday I will be extra thankful for whatever she prepares.
  10. I have someone to carry on our family’s legacy. My wife and I see amazing character qualities, talents, skills and gifts in our kids and are excited about their futures. One day, we hope they get married and have children and begin to teach their kids many of the same principles we taught them. It is great knowing what we started with our little family of five will be continued in the future by our kids.

What are some reasons you are thankful to be a husband and dad, or wife and mom?

photo credit: happykatie via photopin cc

Jackie Bledsoe, Jr. | September 2, 2013 | 15 Comments

The Important Role of a Father in His Daughter’s Life

I’m sure you’ve heard about the Miley Cyrus “performance” on MTVs VMAs last week.  It set off a firestorm of articles and comments and very few of them were positive.

The Important Role of a Father in His Daughter's Life by Jackie Bledsoe on ASmithBlog.com

photo credit: DaDooDa via photopin cc

I don’t watch MTV, so I didn’t watch it live, but I saw so many people discussing it online I found it and watched myself. My reaction…I can’t even put into words.  I had so many emotions I couldn’t describe them.  Disgust, embarrassment, sadness, confusion, and flat out OMGosh!

Has modesty in our daughter’s been lost?

[Read more…] about The Important Role of a Father in His Daughter’s Life

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Hi, my name is Adam Smith and welcome to asmithblog.com. I am the author of the new book, The Bravest You. Because of my work as an entrepreneur, consultant, writer, and speaker, I have been named a top industry influencer by American Genius. I live with my wife, Jasmine, and three children in Shenandoah, IA.

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