Jay Payleitner - The Dad Book

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

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THE DAD BOOK

Copyright 2015 Jay Payleitner

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-6358-9 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6359-6 (eBook)

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To my perfect grandchildrenJudah, Jackson, and all those still to comeand their devoted dads

Contents

If you picked up this book because of the photo on the cover, Im not surprised. Because thats how Jay got me to write this foreword.

Jay has been a good friend and colleague of the National Center for Fathering for more than 20 years. And he knows Ive got a soft spot for dads who connect with their kids physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

When I saw the artwork for the book cover, it unleashed a flood of emotions and memories. My father had scruffy whiskers, and they were wonderful to feel. Especially when he kissed my forehead.

All kids need to feel that kind of closeness with their dads. The warmth. The security. The love. Children who enjoy a heartfelt connection with their fathers will almost always have a strong sense of confidence and personal integrity. Empowered by their fathers love, they can explore the world, discover their gifts, and experience true joy.

Thats right, I saw all of that in the cover photo. Did you see it too?

Then I opened the book, and it got even better. In these pages youll find a plethora of ways you can make your own heartfelt connection with your kids. Some creative. Some old classics. Some silly. Some straightforward. A few of Jays ideas will leave you scratching your head thinking, How did he come up with that? Dad, I recommend you just do it. Do it all.

Im an old football player and sports fan, so allow me an analogy from the gridiron. Wherever you are in life, The Dad Book is going to give you the next play. Maybe youre a new dad and this book was a gift at a baby shower. Use this well-conceived playbook to kick off your fathering game plan. If you have school-age kids, youll find scores of ideas to help you score big-time. Or maybe youve got surly teenagers at home and youre not even sure how to walk through their bedroom door. Dont just punt. Instead, turn to .

Whether youre winning as a dad or a few points behind on the scoreboard, flip through this book and find the next play to help you gain some extra yardage and many victories with your family.

So start making memories, Dad. Youll be storing up hours of game film that will bring you tears of joy and laughter for the rest of your life.

Carey Casey is CEO of the National Center for Fathering, author of Championship Fathering , and a dynamic speaker. He has served as chaplain for the Summer Olympics and several NFL teams. Carey and his wife, Melanie, have four children and nine grandchildren.

If you received this book as a gift from your son or daughter, thats pretty darn fabulous. Theyre declaring they want you in their life. They need you. And theyre counting on you to be the dad.

They truly appreciate the time you spend reading bedtime stories, catching fireflies, driving carpools, and making waffles. They honor your commitment to give noogies every day and to sit on tiny chairs sipping tea with stuffed bears and tigers.

The recipient of this book (thats you, Dad) is being elevated to hero status, which means you may be required to rescue a kid who climbs too high on the monkey bars. You may need to pick up and pay for enough pizzas to feed 23 homecoming parade float builders someday. Or you might need to race a college application to the FedEx drop box.

Dad, you may even be called on to do something you dont especially want to do, such as hunt garter snakes or get your toenails painted. Train for a 10K with your middle-schooler. Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar 43 nights in a row. Miss a Packers play-off game to watch a rain-soaked youth soccer game. Or change a teens tire on a slushy freeway.

If you received this book as a gift from your wife, thats also fabulous. Shes reminding you that God has chosen you to be a dad. Shes promising to help you find success in that high calling. And shes expressing confidence in your qualifications and expertise.

If you received this book as a gift from a friend, theyre saying, Congratulations. Or maybe, Welcome to the exclusive club of fathering awesomeness.

If you bought this book as a gift for yourself, you have the luckiest kids in the world. Those kids have a dad who knows much but also knows theres much more to know!

So enjoy the magnificent and auspicious title of dad. Youve earned it. Or you soon will. My prayer is this book will nudge you to explore new ideas and stretch yourself a bit. After all, Dad, you have wisdom and experience worth passing on. You have a voice that needs to be heard. And that might even mean opening this book and reading a quote, poem, fact, philosophical tidbit, or joke right out loud.

If you find something meaningful, I hope youll pass it on as a gift to another dad, stepdad, granddad, uncle, or father figure. Were all in this together.

The alphabetical arrangement of this book will lead you on a surprising journey, zigzagging over a lot of ground and expanding your fathering horizons. But isnt that how life as a dad rolls along? We go from serious to silly. We share a pizza then share a memory. In one 24-hour period, we might be a provider, scientist, gopher, coach, disciplinarian, storyteller, magician, theologian, comedian, and shoulder to cry on.

This is not my first book for dads. But it was the most fun to research, write, and pull together. I feel as if it was a gift to me as well.

Regardless of how you acquired this volume, theres one thing that must be acknowledged. The book is not really the gift. The gift is how a man responds to the idea of being a father. Will you accept it? Or will you set it aside? Will you see the priceless value of your fathering role? Will you unwrap such a gift, cherish it, and give it priority status in your own life?