Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1123474
6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • June 2019 PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle, and Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, President, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER Karen Charney: Joshua & Spencer's mom SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING MANAGER Lovedy Carroll: Meredith's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Leigha Pecher: Jake and Luke's mom EDUCATION AND INFANT ELETTERS Debra Caffrey: Aidan's mom parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA E-MAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 E-MAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F'burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are sub- ject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2019 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. LIKE facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net TWEET twitter.com/fredparent PIN www.pinterest.com/ fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine I'm a natural nurturer. This means as a father, I lean toward being more affectionate while choosing to see every situation my children encounter—positive or negative—as a teachable moment. My end game is having children who can think freely, assess situations before they enter them and understand how to deconstruct mistakes in order to learn from them. It's sometimes a tall order, but my wife and I get in there with them often to reinforce these concepts . As a dad, I take great pride in coaching my children through life. I know that while they are "mine," they do not belong to me. They're individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, perceptions and preferences. My job is to help them unlock interests within, discover who they are and guide them into adulthood. Easier said than done most days. Kids don't come banging down the door to learn about personal development from their dads. They look at their dad in two facets: a provider for the family and a fountain of entertainment. And I'm OK with both. When I think of those two roles, here is what I love about them… ...when my kids and I drive down the interstate with the music up, bobbing our heads and singing along to songs we all enjoy. ...watching my kids eat dinner knowing that the work we do satis- fies their appetites. ...having movie night on Saturdays with my boys. It's an opportunity for each of us to share our cinematic tastes with one another. ...dancing in the living room with my daughter. She laughs at my silly moves and I enjoy when she stands on my feet as we sweep across the floor. ...involving my kids in my hobbies. Hayden has taken particular interest in stock trading with me, while Quincy gravitates toward astronomy. ...that our money can afford them opportunities for sports, activities and entertainment they enjoy. ...showing my kids how the money is made. We take trips to mom's job at the taproom and hang out there to play games and I let them come along to some of my story assignments. ...demonstrating love to them. If I do nothing else, I want my kids to see how a healthy marriage looks. I want them to know that I adore their mother. It's amazing to see that when I'm excellent in this area, their behavior is different, their response to her is differ- ent, and my house feels different when I lead in this area. As a dad, I take the responsibility of raising children into responsible adults seriously, but I aim to keep it loose and light, too. To my fellow fathers, we may be the butt of some jokes, but we're the ever-present head that our family looks up to for guidance, love, advice and plain old fun. We salute you. but we're the ever-present head that our family looks up to for guidance, love, advice and WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES letter to readers Being I love... On DAD