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By Richard Friesner

In my newish role as the dad of two boys, I've been thinking about all the things that a dad should teach his sons as they grow into young men. There are things like how to tie a fly for fishing, the best way to light a fire and the secret to the perfect necktie knot. But limited to only ten items here, I'm going to talk about the overarching things I want my boys to learn from me.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]1[/fusion_dropcap] Serve Others. Perhaps the greatest gifts we can give each other is a kind word, a helping hand and a hug. You don't have to create world peace, but helping a neighbor take groceries into their house, or assisting with some yard work shows your son that helping others matters.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]2[/fusion_dropcap]How to treat a woman well. I love my wife, but all women should be treated with respect. Opening and hold the door is one way to show this.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]3[/fusion_dropcap] There are some things worth fighting for. Most often fists are not necessary, but learning to stand up for what you believe in is important.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]4[/fusion_dropcap] Learn there is more to life than money. True happiness comes from what you give, not what you earn.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]5[/fusion_dropcap] Always give 100 percent. There is no other way. If you can't give it your all, it probably isn't worth doing.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]6[/fusion_dropcap] Be creative. Creativity can come in the form of painting, song or dance. But it is necessary to have a fulfilling life.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]7[/fusion_dropcap] How to read. I read to my sons every night. It is a few minutes that we get to ourselves. We can explore imaginary worlds, or eat green eggs and ham.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]8[/fusion_dropcap] How to cook. Some day they may need to produce "snowman" pancakes from scratch at 6am on a Saturday. It's a skill we should all have.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]9[/fusion_dropcap] How to make a mistake. We all do it...mess up that is. The most important thing is to say, "I'm sorry," fix the problem (if you can) and move on.

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="round" class="" id="" color="" text_color=""]10[/fusion_dropcap] It is said that love conquers all. As long as a dad's son knows that "Daddy love me" things will be fine.

 

Richard Friesner is a dad2.0 and chair of the Fredericksburg Planning Commission.

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