Cheerios commercial puts dad in a favorable light...


I am a dad... and I like this portrayal of a dad
not the usual bumbling idiot as portrayed in the sit coms of this modern age
Cheerios Ad with the Modern Dad

I take the kids on bike rides... tours around the city
mini adventures
experiences that they would not have other wise
I make these things happen

so often they fight me before they happen
then thank me later for not listening to their hesitation
and for not giving into their resistance
I have to decide what is best for them
when does a child know what is best for themselves?

a child will choose ice cream, candy, or cake over fruits and vegetables
it is up to the parents to guide their decisions
a child would rather play video games or watch television than go to karate practice, a hike with the dog, a bike ride in the city, or out back to kick a soccer ball
it is the parent's duty to decide what is best for the child... to say no to this and yes to that
to be strong where the child is weak
to guide the children to make the decisions that will be best in the long run and not just what is easiest in the moment

I did enjoy that commercial


I have tried to create mini adventures in our everyday lives
I have tried to give us a life outside of school and home
fun on days other than the weekends
respecting the need for down time
but knowing that there is a time when there has been too much downtime


I built ramps for the boys
put a climbing wall up in the back yard
found a rope swing in the woods and took them there for routine visits until it was taken away
I have tried to make their urban world rich in as many ways as possible

the zoo... the aquarium... the museums
heck yeah!

sports? games? competitions?
never ending

I am a dad... I enjoy my responsibility and I take it seriously
class trips? school projects? homework?
but of course


my kids learned to swim because I got in the pool and swam with them
my kids learned to ride bikes because I rode along side of them
my kids learned to brush their teeth because I pulled out my tooth brush and brushed my teeth along side of them
I eat what is good for me as much as an example for them as a personal need to eat right myself

being a dad is a full time job
I will be their dad as long as I live
and I look forward to fulfilling that obligation
and well... I thank Cheerios for not belittling the influence of the dad