NBC launched a new reality show, “My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad,” this past Monday evening. Children between the ages of 8 and 12 compete with their dads against other father/child teams. The competitions include Human Dart Board, The Spinning Discs, Snake Bobbing, Alphabet Soup, Happy Hour, Uphill Battle, Empty Nest, Target Practice, Quiz Round, Scorpion King, Paper Boy Shoot-Out, Arachnophobia, and Stinger. Ultimately the final team competes in the “Money” round for up to $50,000. The show is being marketed as family-friendly.
Family friendly? While the show may not have sexual content or inappropriate language, I question whether it is the family show I want my children to see. I’m not sure I want my children to think that a father should, or even can, be evaluated based on the shows criteria. I believe that a father should be evaluated based on the impact his has on teaching his children to make decisions that will lead them to heaven. I believe a father should be evaluated on how he parents his children throughout their lives.
This last week, I had a birthday. It has been a long standing tradition for my mother to call me on my birthday and sing “Happy Birthday.” She has done that since I went to college more than twenty years ago. That is, she had sung to me on every one of my birthdays, until two years ago. Two years ago, my mom called and told me happy birthday, but she didn’t sing to me. Last year, my mom called and told me happy birthday, but she didn’t sing to me.
My mom has had some health challenges and I had accepted that I realized I probably would never hear her sing “Happy Birthday” again. I didn’t mention it to her because I didn’t want her to feel bad about forgetting to sing to me.
This year, my mom didn’t call on my birthday. My dad called. His deep voice told me he had called to tell me happy birthday. I heard my mom talking to him and he said my mom was getting on the other extension. Mom picked up the phone and said, “I just wanted to sing happy birthday to you.” Then I heard my mom and dad singing “Happy Birthday” together. My dad never joined my mother in singing before. For the first time in more than twenty years I heard my dad’s voice singing on my birthday.
I don’t know if mom remembered she was supposed to sing to me this year or if my dad reminded her. I do know that my dad dialed my number, got my mom on the phone, and joined her in singing. For that moment, I know my dad was better than your dad.
I agree with you and would want to make the most of my time left. I would also want to leave with no regrets.
I would appreciate our linking to each other’s websites if that’s ok with you!
Donna
It was so interesting story I am a Teacher of 3 grade in a private school in Kosova and I thing like you dear Dr.Beth we must thing about these children with these problems in their house we must help them in any way they need, I hope you understand my English language .
Key of a positive world and our future is NOT stop thinking of problems any problems of children in world because is not like you work with happy and loved child and from permisive family like you work with children with represive family , we must help them so early not to be late for them they are most important thing in this world but we must not just think but we must do that what is the best for them in practice , to be their live more easy and not so hard because how we educate them like infant or from prenatal periode they will be like these a factor in their social life and will grow their family in that atmosphere with a positive or negative influence in this wonderful world .
But I see that we make them like a robot and not like a human been we work, we dont have time for them to love to learn them how to live their life so lovely WE WORK ALL DAY but we dont think never for whom we do that money and everything for our robots , or for our lovely child …………………