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whatever reason. Then she stopped asking and the daddy-daughter time stopped.It was never initiated by me. I never planned it with any of my kids. If it did happen, it was by accident.I regret that. I should have set time aside for this when they were young. One-on-one time with Dad makes them feel special. They have Dad all to themselves and don’t have to share his attention.I had a few of those with my Dad, and I loved it and craved it.<h2 id="aa31">2. Make them do what they didn’t want to do</h2>When my son was a toddler he loved to roughhouse with me or his friends. Any opportunity he had, he would want to wrestle. We put him in a judo class when he was about 7 years old and he showed a lot of promise.While I can’t remember why, when that class ended we didn’t put him in another. A couple of years later he wanted to join another class. So I took him to watch a session at a local gym. Following that, he decided he wasn’t interested.I don’t know if the instructor scared him or the students looked scary. But I should have made him take a couple of classes and then decide. He showed a talent for grappling and never pursued it.There are other examples of times when I accepted my kids “no, I don’t want to,” without pushing them to g

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ive it a try or digging more as to why not.I regret that.<h2 id="b1f3">3. Tell them that they’re going to change the world</h2>This was just to give them a global mindset in whatever they did. Not everyone can affect the world like Steve Jobs or Zuckerburg, but there are some who are cleaning oceans or starting charities.My oldest daughter took piano lessons to a high level. She was very good. To my mind, she could have gone to play for kings and queens. Maybe, if I had taught her to dream big she would have gone to play in front of millions.My second daughter tasted charity work when she raised money for the local MS society by selling oatmeal cookies and going to local grocery stores to ask for ingredients to be donated. She was quite successful.She did it for a few years then stopped. I should have encouraged her to continue and helped her do so.I regret not doing so.Look, this is just the musings of a Dad looking back. My children are happy, and isn’t that all that matters? Why change the world and be miserable? If my son continued in some martial art, he might have been injured or worse. Who knows…My children are doing their part, in their circle to be good people. I’m very proud of them.</article></body>

What I Regret I Didn’t Do When My Kids Still Lived At Home

You don’t have all the time in the world

Being a father has been the greatest duty of my life. Raising my children into people that other people like because of who they are makes me proud. My wife and I did a great job.

They are 25, 23, and 21 years old now and each is living a productive life. We have a two-year-old grandson as well who is the apple of our eyes.

I don’t often look back on the time the kids were home. I realize the folly of doing that. What can you change, right? But there are times when I do, especially when I see something on TV like a dad with his child, or I notice a parent with their child in a mall.

These are some of the things I wish I had done more of.

1. One-on-one time with Dad

My 2nd daughter asked me often for daddy-daughter time. Sometimes we did, and sometimes I said no for whatever reason. Then she stopped asking and the daddy-daughter time stopped.

It was never initiated by me. I never planned it with any of my kids. If it did happen, it was by accident.

I regret that. I should have set time aside for this when they were young. One-on-one time with Dad makes them feel special. They have Dad all to themselves and don’t have to share his attention.

I had a few of those with my Dad, and I loved it and craved it.

2. Make them do what they didn’t want to do

When my son was a toddler he loved to roughhouse with me or his friends. Any opportunity he had, he would want to wrestle. We put him in a judo class when he was about 7 years old and he showed a lot of promise.

While I can’t remember why, when that class ended we didn’t put him in another. A couple of years later he wanted to join another class. So I took him to watch a session at a local gym. Following that, he decided he wasn’t interested.

I don’t know if the instructor scared him or the students looked scary. But I should have made him take a couple of classes and then decide. He showed a talent for grappling and never pursued it.

There are other examples of times when I accepted my kids “no, I don’t want to,” without pushing them to give it a try or digging more as to why not.

I regret that.

3. Tell them that they’re going to change the world

This was just to give them a global mindset in whatever they did. Not everyone can affect the world like Steve Jobs or Zuckerburg, but there are some who are cleaning oceans or starting charities.

My oldest daughter took piano lessons to a high level. She was very good. To my mind, she could have gone to play for kings and queens. Maybe, if I had taught her to dream big she would have gone to play in front of millions.

My second daughter tasted charity work when she raised money for the local MS society by selling oatmeal cookies and going to local grocery stores to ask for ingredients to be donated. She was quite successful.

She did it for a few years then stopped. I should have encouraged her to continue and helped her do so.

I regret not doing so.

Look, this is just the musings of a Dad looking back. My children are happy, and isn’t that all that matters? Why change the world and be miserable? If my son continued in some martial art, he might have been injured or worse. Who knows…

My children are doing their part, in their circle to be good people. I’m very proud of them.