Dads: Don't Sit on the Sidelines

Jump Street

Not too long ago I took my 8 year old son to Jump Street. For those who don't know what that is: it's basically just an indoor trampoline park. There are several different things to do inside including wall to wall trampolines, a stunt jump, a mini obstacle course, a mechanical bull, and a trampoline dodge-ball court.

It didn't take long for me to see a recurring theme throughout the building. Adults were sitting and kids were jumping. As for me, I was jumping my ass off. My son and I had a blast and I plan on taking him back soon.

A Widespread Phenomena

It saddened me to see most of the dads sitting down. There was even one guy paying more attention to his tablet than to his kids, which honestly made me sneer in disgust.

What's even worse, though, is that this phenomena wasn't localized. I knew at that very moment that there were undoubtedly countless thousands, if not millions, of parents across the world doing much the same thing: sitting.

I see it everywhere I go. From the tablet watcher at Jump Street, to the lazy fucks on the lake shore to the (usually overweight or obese) parents at the park. Most of them are just sitting, usually staring at a smartphone.

I know it isn't all dads. There was even an entire family of two parents and four kids jumping on the wall to wall trampolines for awhile when my son and I were at Jump Street. Hell, sometimes I'll come across a dad swinging his child at the park. Occasionally I won't be the only one swimming with his kids.

So, yeah, I know that all dads aren't like that. But it sure does feel lonely out there sometimes when what seems like the vast majority of fathers just aren't in the game like they should be. They aren't teaching discipline; or playing catch; or teaching about philosophy and history and science; or braiding hair; or having tea parties; or teaching self-defense; or reading; or running; or learning.

They are sitting.

I won't lie: it's frustrating. Sometimes I just want to yell at these lazy asses to get up and show up for their kids. But it wouldn't do any good. Men have to want to change before they will change.

I hope to leave a lasting impression on every father that sees me out there playing and teaching; running and swimming. I hope all of those dads see me and remember that I wasn't sitting. I hope they begin to wonder why they didn't get up. I hope to do all that I can to influence every dad I meet by being that dad that we should all be.

I'm Not The Only One

I see the evidence that I'm not alone on Twitter more than anywhere else, which is kind of sad if you think about it. I enjoy my interactions with the great guys on Twitter, but I think it would be far better to see dads out there in the day to day, taking their influence in their children's lives seriously.

I talk to dads like Craig, Hunter, Lloyd and Neil, on Twitter all the time who are stepping up and being the father that their children need them to be.

It's men like them that are on the front lines of changing the way that men act in our culture. They are setting the example and doing their best to raise up a generation of children who will forgo the popular method of letting the system control their lives for them; who will be even better parents than they were.

That is also my hope. I have three sons right now and so I feel the heavy burden being the kind of dad that I want my sons to be when they are men. I wouldn't have it any other way.

So, dads, if you are like me and you want to set the best example and be the best father that you can be, then take my advice:

Until next time,

JP

---

Subscribe on YouTube for weekly, bad-ass content!

Follow me on Twitter for the daily grind.

Follow me on Instagram for...pictures and stuff.

Shoot me an Email.

Also, check out the beginning of my novel in progress: Mouth Breather

#father #fatherhood #masculinity #teach #play