A Dad Keeping Score

Family vacation is so much fun with 4 little boys , and a little crazy too until you get them around a pool with water guns. The boys then will play cops and robbers for hours leaving there parents, Tara and I to read.  I decided to reread the Resolved book specifically on the “keeping score” chapter of the book, knowing I need to work on continually keeping my results in front of me.  Today my focus being because were spending time with the kids, on keeping score as a husband and a father.

Orrin Woodward wrote, “fans religiously keep track of the scoreboard at sporting events, but few maintain the high standards when the spotlight is placed upon their professional field of play” .  He continues next chapter, ” but imagine what would happen, if all sports fans, fans who expect the coaches to lead their teams, chose to lead their families with a similar level of expectation for excellence”.
So here is the question for all of us… If we were watching ourselves coach/lead our families what would we be yelling at ourselves  to fix? Since we are all self delusional I have asked the 2 best dads I know, Bill Newton, and  Tim Marks, where am I messing up as well?  Finally I asked my wife and kids. I’ll give  you a quick idea of how that went as he was driving the boat!
   

Daddy: Cader  do you think daddy is a good daddy

Cader: yes

Daddy: why are you sure

Cader: because your my friend and you make money so chase, cage, colby, mommy and me can eat and go places
Daddy: anything else
Cader: you taught me about Jesus  and I know you love mommy
Daddy: what do I do wrong that I can work on
Cader: nothing
Daddy: tell me the truth
Cader: ok, then will u leave me alone ?
Daddy: yes
Cader:  ok ok . well I wish you let me have pop everyday and you didn’t kiss mommy all the time, and I don’t like spankings when I hit my brothers
Daddy: thanks for the feedback ,but that will not change, love you

I love the quote by Orrin “you either hate changing bad enough to lose or hate losing bad enough to change.”. As a parent or a spouse let’s look at the scoreboard and change where we need to. I know it’s a daily process for me and I pray you will keep score  with your performance as a parent/spouse as well.  god bless

cody