A recent study on family relationships found that fathers who were involved in their children's life were healthier and happier than dads who were distant from their kids.
It also found that involved fathers are happier at home, are less stressful and are even better employees.
In one book entitled "New strategies for balancing work and family", authors James Levine and Todd Pittinsky discovered through research, that when fathers are comfortable at home, their sense of accomplishment and confidence carries into the workplace. It confirms what I've believed for a long-time: the qualities that make someone an effective father are the same qualities that also make them an effective husband and an effective employee.
Every part of our life impacts the other parts in a big way. And for fathers who know they are good dads, one family expert I've read recently cautions against patting ourselves on the back too much. He says it's easy to get stuck on how much we do for our kids...and that we can be consumed about all the things we could be doing if we weren't serving our sons or daughters in some way. Before you know it, we become victims, and because we see how little appreciation there is for what we do or how hard we work.
As my 49th birthday rolls around, I'm committed to choosing gratitude over victimhood. One expert put it best: "we as fathers are forever changed for the better when we commit to our children in ways that are deeper than our understanding."
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