Grandparents give age-old advice to new fathers
The best people to ask for advice are those who have done it all before. When it comes to parenting, grandparents fit that description perfectly. For Father’s Day, four grandfathers at Concordia Haven Apartments in Jefferson Township decided to share their wisdom and age-old advice for new fathers.
Many of the grandparents encouraged new fathers to spend plenty of time with their children.
“I think being a father, you have to spend lots of time playing with your kids,” said Jim Banach.
Similarly, Ken Cranmer said, “One of the things you want to make sure is you spend time with boys as much as you can.”
All of the grandparents also talked about how important unconditional love for your children is.
Crammer, John Kriley and Doug McCall all agreed that showing unconditional love and being present for your children were important qualities for new parents.
Meanwhile, Banach talked about how he showed unconditional love toward his daughter. He said when he raised his daughter, he let her know that as long as she tried her best, it was all that mattered to him. “I would love her if she did great or she didn’t do great.”
However, parenting is not always an easy task. Kriley said when it comes to raising children, patience is a must.
“Some people get so frustrated over raising little ones from the start, but you’ve got to be patient with everybody. You’ve got to show the kid love,” Kriley said.
Kriley also said to be willing to forgive the mistakes your child makes. “We all will make mistakes in our lives and we’ve just got to realize it. Instead of scolding or anything, you talk with them and work it out and stay in love with each other.”
“Don’t give up on your children. You have to trust them and things will work out,” he said.
Even when you try your best as a parent, things can still spin out of control and mistakes still happen from time to time. Banach advised parents to be willing to ask for forgiveness when they make a mistake.
He drew on his experience raising his daughter, saying, “There were times where I messed up. I lost my temper and kind of blew it a little bit, got a little more angry. And there were times when I took her on my lap, and I told her, what you did was wrong, but the way I reacted was wrong, and I’m sorry. And will you forgive me? And she said ‘Yes, Daddy, I forgive you.’”
Despite all the struggles of parenting, McCall and Cranmer said the rewards of parenting can last for the rest of your life and beyond.
McCall said it was important to make memories with your children that last the rest of your life, while Cranmer talked about how memories of being a good parent can last even after your death.
“When I die, I think I’m not gonna be judged about how much work I did or who I worked for, but my children and grandchildren will be there,” Cranmer said.
“You hope that you were a good father, and that stuff, they passed that down to your children and grandchildren. You’re a good dad and that’s who you want to be.”
