The Dad Influence: Famous People and How Their Dads Made a Difference

Celebrities are in the news and on the covers of magazines for everything from their successes to their failures, their marriages to their break-ups, and even their weight loss (or gain). We don’t often hear about the men and women who raised them. Here are some pretty awesome dads of celebrities that can teach you a thing or two about fatherhood.

Share Your Passions

David Beckham is one of the greatest soccer (or football) players of all time. His amazing talent, his discipline, and his unwavering drive are what made him a wonderful athlete. It’s hard to imagine soccer without him, but that might have been the case if it wasn’t for his father, David “Ted” Beckham. Ted was a great soccer player in his own right, though he never made it big. He shared his love of the game with his son, and influenced him to pursue it. David’s foot might have never touched a ball if his father hadn’t shared his passion for the sport with his son.

It’s important to share your passions with your kids, whatever they may be. Tell your kids about the things you love to do, and they might end up loving it to. This can be a great way for you to bond with each other and spend quality time doing something you both enjoy. It could be playing a certain sport, singing, building, cooking, or reading. Even if your kids don’t enjoy some of the same things you do, it gives them the opportunity to learn more about you. In return, they can share their passions with you!

Be a Good Role Model

 

Cody Simpson, a musician from Australia, recently posted a picture with his dad that had this caption, “My dad is my best mate. He’s by my side every single day helping me become a better man. He is the kindest and most humble person I know and I am grateful to have such an admirable role model in my life.” His father, Brad Simpson, has shown his son how to be a good man and father simply by being one. He leads by example, with the knowledge that the best way to teach is by doing.

Your kids look up to you, whether you know it or not. They watch your every move. This means you have a great amount of influence in your children’s lives. Show them how to be patient, kind, humble, and courageous by being those things yourself. Remember that no one is perfect and mistakes will be made; use those as an opportunity to teach your kids that mistakes are a learning experience.

Teach Them Good Habits

Jake Gyllenhaal is an accomplished actor. He may have gotten his interest in the film industry from his director father, Stephen Gyllenhaal, but he gained other things too. “A love of being physical, being active and being outside was something he instilled in me,” Jake said in an interview with The Guardian. He said his father used to “wake me up and we would go running together.” Jake’s father taught him how to be healthy and fit, a habit that has continued.

Teach your kids how to maintain good habits, like eating healthy, saying please and thank you, having respect for adults, being a good steward of your possessions, and cleaning up after yourself. Take a page out of Stephen Gyllenhaal’s book and demonstrate those habits by doing them yourself and encouraging your kids to join.

Instill Good Values

 

Beyonce Knowles is known worldwide for her beautiful singing voice and unreal dance moves; however, she is also a shrewd businesswoman. She credits her success to her father, as well as her mother. “I am grateful for everything he has taught me. I grew up watching both he and my mother manage and own their own businesses. They were hard-working entrepreneurs and I will continue to follow in their footsteps,” she told Us Weekly.

Instill good values in your kids, like the importance of hard work and integrity. Demonstrate these values in your everyday life, and explain them to your kids. You can show them the benefits of working hard and teach them about integrity by maintaining those values and pointing them out.

Make Sacrifices

Sarah Hyland, who plays Haley Dunphy on the TV show Modern Family, has been struggling with kidney disease since she was diagnosed with abnormal kidney development at the age of nine. She recently underwent transplant surgery, and the donor was her father, actor Edward James Hyland. When he was determined a perfect match, he was more than willing to give his daughter a kidney.

There will be times when you have to make sacrifices for your kids. Sometimes, it will be a no-brainer; other times, you might not be as willing. Donating a kidney, though it’s a big deal, is one of the easier decisions because it could be a life or death situation. Giving up your time, missing out on your favorite TV show, or not being able to eat your dinner until it’s cold are the sacrifices that are sometimes difficult to make. They may not see it now, but one day your kids will appreciate the things you sacrificed for them, big or small.

Leave a Legacy

The life of a prince may seem like a dream come true, but Prince William will tell you different. When speaking of his father, Prince Charles, he has said, “I really hold him in great admiration for the amount of time he gives up to do work here and there.” Prince William is a new father himself and probably has a newfound respect for the dual role his father had to play as royal and father. Prince Charles has created a lasting legacy for both of his sons, not only as a leader of a country, but also as a father.

Though you may not be royalty, you too can create a great legacy for your children. By being a good father and pursuing success in whatever you do, you can pave a path for your children to follow into successful lives of their own.

 

 

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