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“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.” ~Jim Valvano

Father’s Day is a perfect time to tell your children that you are proud of them. Yes you heard me right:  The day set aside for dads is a perfect time to tell your children that you are proud of them. If you say to your son or daughter – no matter what their ages:

“I am proud of you.” Then tell them why you are proud.” For example, “I am proud of the way you kept a positive attitude during the past challenging year.”

Or, “I really think it’s great the way you spend time with your children each week!”

Or, “Thanks for setting a good example for your kids by exercising regularly.”

Or, “I love your jokes. You have a wonderful way of making people smile.”

If you say these (heart-felt) affirming words to your children, you will be energizing, encouraging and equipping them to realize their potential. (If they are also fathers, they may want to become even better fathers.)

Please –affirm your kids this Father’s Day, and not just on Father’s day but on many days– all the yearlong.

I believe that no matter what a person’s age, we still want to know that our dads are proud of us.  My dad died nearly thirty three years ago. Previous to his death, he told me often, “I love you,” but I do not remember him ever saying , “I am proud of you or I like the way you ____.”  I have known that he loved me, but I have always longed—even today—to know that he also liked who I was and was proud of me.  I remember asking my mother sometime after my dad died, “Did Dad ever say to you that he was proud of me?”  She said, “Your dad loved you.”  I responded, “I know that, but did he ever say, ‘I am so proud of Karen because she graduated from college, or because Karen is a good mother?’ Did he ever say anything like that?”  She quietly responded, “Your dad didn’t share his feelings much.”