– what i’ve learned, so far, about parenting

i’ve notice a handful of books in recent years from celebrities and television personalities, non-fiction books that are like a tribute to the father from the son. i would imagine that any father who has a son so motivated to write about about him must be a great dad. however, some dads are so tough with their sons that those sons spend a lifetime fighting for approval. probably the most famous example would be howard stern, who has admitted thousands of times that his entire show is basically a way of proving to his father that he’s not an idiot.

although i’ll never be famous enough to write a book about my father, i can still recognize and admit that i learned a lot from him. most of it was good, but some of what i learned was what can be called “what not to do.”

Be tough with your kids, but also be there when they need you.

Make sure they understand the difference between “earning” something and “being given” something.

Be ready for hardship, but be ready to have fun.

No matter what you do, I’ll be there to pat you on the back, and I’ll be there to grab you by the neck.

Sweating is good for you.

Put on some pants because I’m turning down the heat to save a few bucks.

If you join a team, you stick with it until the end of the season. You don’t quit after a few losses.

Homework, then TV.

What Mom doesn’t know, Dad might. What Dad doesn’t know, Mom will.

If you can’t say “sorry” when you did something, then don’t try using “please” when you want something.

Not every dinner tastes great, but every dinner will be healthy.

Just because I can give you what you want, doesn’t mean that I will.