All Pro Dad - Play of the Day

Is your word your bond?

Thu 12th Nov 2009

When you promise something to your kids, do you follow through?� Or is it conditional? If something else better comes along, do you figure your kids will just get over it?� You see, it's not the fact that your kids really needed the ice cream cone or the afternoon of bowling that you promised. They need a dad who sticks to what he says. They need a dad they can rely on in a world of chaos. Every time you break a promise, a little of your children's respect for you gets chipped away. Keep your promises and be a dad your kids can always count on.

Blown a promise lately?� Here's some advice on how to apologize to your kids.

Huddle up and ask your kids tonight:� Do I always do what I say I will do? Has there been a time when I have let you down or disappointed you?

Today is Veterans' Day

Wed 11th Nov 2009

Freedom isn't free. It comes with a price. And that price is paid every day by the men and women who serve and defend our country. Take a moment today to remember those who are deployed around the world, and those who have served in the past. Think about the things they have given up in order to serve. And the times they've missed with their families, so that you and your family can remain free. This inspiring video says it all.

Show your patriotism, and go out of your way to thank a veteran today.

Huddle up and ask your kids tonight:� Do you think you would like to serve in the military some day?� Why or why not?

Don't cheat on your wife

Tue 10th Nov 2009

A men's health magazine recently published five ways to avoid committing adultery:� Address your needs. If you need a confidence boost, ask your wife for one. Sing each other's praises. Find new male friends. 77% of men who had had affairs have a friend who cheated. If your friends cheat, they make it seem normal. Consider the fallout. Your wife may experience symptoms similar to posttraumatic stress disorder for years - flashbacks, anxiety and depression.� Do you really want to take that on? Change your expectations. Fixing your current marital relationship will take time, but you will end up being much more satisfied. Limit your one-on-one time with other women. Reduce the number of opportunities for temptation.

And here's one we recommend. Give your wife full access to your home computer, laptop, Blackberry or cell phone. It will reassure her you have nothing to hide.

Is it possible for a married couple to survive the pain of an affair? Yes. But it will take forgiveness, commitment, accountability and perseverance. Take a look at this video from marriage experts Gary and Barb Rosberg for some wise advice.

Huddle up and ask your wife tonight:� Do you worry that I'll cheat on you?� Why or why not?

Refrigeration adulation

Mon 09th Nov 2009

Why don't you get a small erasable marker board for your fridge and make up a weekly achievement list for your kids?� It's simple.� List your kids' names and then write one accomplishment each of them did that week.� Praise them for setting a goal and reaching it.� Whether it's getting an A on a math test or keeping their room clean, kids like to be recognized.� This is just another simple way to heap encouragement on your little ones. Here's another... our downloadable Certificate of Achievement. Print one out and celebrate your child's achievement. You might even want to frame it so they can hang it in their room.

Find out what Coach Dungy has to say about the importance of encouraging young children.

Huddle up with your kids tonight and tell them:� I'm proud of you because ____________.

What are your memories of your dad?

Fri 06th Nov 2009

What were some of the things your father said to you when you were growing up? Take a look at this video for a fun trip down memory lane. Then think about how your kids will remember you.� Your words have the power to bless and build up, or to curse and tear down.� Choose them wisely.

Huddle up and ask your kids tonight:� What are some of the things you'll remember me saying when you are my age?

Shared activities = a healthy family

Thu 05th Nov 2009

Dr. Gary Smalley, in his book The Key to Your Child's Heart, relates the following: "Several years ago I used to speak to groups of four hundred to two thousand people in fifty cities annually.� I began to notice that certain families in the audiences experienced unusually happy interaction among themselves.� I was intrigued by this and began to do a study.� I would interview the wife, husband and children separately.� Each person was asked the same question: What do you believe is the main reason you all are so close and happy as a family?

What I found amazed me.� Each family member gave basically the same answer: 'We do a lot of things together.' "

Want to make more memories with your family? Here are some great ideas for activities you can do together.

Huddle up and ask your kids tonight:� What is something fun and free we can do this weekend?

Darryl Strawberry talks about his father

Wed 04th Nov 2009

Watch former All Star baseball player Darryl Strawberry talk about his father.� Darryl, as successful as he was on the field, was plagued by problems off the field.� And though he doesn't completely blame his father for his mistakes, Darryl does associate a lot of his troubles with being alienated from him.� Take a look�and then give us your feedback.

Huddle up with your kids tonight and ask:� When you are a parent, what is one thing you would do differently than your mother and I do?� Why?

The last thing you say to your children

Tue 03rd Nov 2009

Some radio and television personalities sign off their broadcast by using a familiar phrase.� Walter Cronkite closed every newscast by saying: "... and that's the way it is."� So how do you close every day with your kids?� It could be a simple "Daddy loves you," or telling them why they make you proud.� The point is continually reinforcing how much you treasure your children.� It's the best way to end the day.

Hear Coach Dungy's routine for putting his children to bed.

Huddle up with your kids tonight and ask them:� Do you know how much I love you?

Do you have room for one more?

Mon 02nd Nov 2009

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Maybe you and your wife have toyed with the idea of adoption, but are unsure of whether to take the next step. What will be the affect of bringing a little one into your home? Can you afford it? How will he or she relate to your other kids? Will you have the energy? It is comforting to know that thousands of families have had the same questions and found they were much more fearful than they needed to be. And they are more joyful than they could have possibly imagined. Is adoption an option for your family?

Read one man's story, then watch this inspiring video with your wife.

Huddle up and ask your wife tonight: What are your thoughts about adoption? Would you like to watch this video with me?

Talk more and fight less?

Fri 30th Oct 2009

In the book Fighting for Your Marriage, Dr. Howard Markman writes: "Although, of course, there are many exceptions to the stereotype of a female who tries to talk and a male who clams up, it's nevertheless very common for women to complain that men won't talk or listen, and for men to complain that women seem to want to stir up conflict too much of the time. Unfortunately, men can come to believe that women just like to criticize, and women can come to believe that men just don't care. Our observation is that women want to talk more, and men want to fight less. Both those goals are positive and worthy.� If a couple knows how to talk safely about whatever they need to talk about, and if they know how to regulate emotions, they will be able to talk without fighting."

Here's how�you can talk to your wife without fighting.

Huddle up and ask your wife tonight:� Do you think I do a good job listening to you?� If not, how can I improve?