52 Things Kids Need from a Dad: What Fathers Can Do to Make a Lifelong Difference

by Jay Payleitner, Josh McDowell (Foreword by)

Overview

“God, please help me…another game of Candy Land…”

Quite a few dads spend time with their kids. However, many have no clue what their kids really need.

Enter author Jay Payleitner, veteran dad of five, who’s also struggled with how to build up his children’s lives. His 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad combines straightforward features with step-up-to-the-mark challenges men will appreciate:

• a full year’s worth of focused, doable ideas—one per week, if desired
• uncomplicated ways to be an example, like “kiss your wife in the kitchen”
• tough, frank advice, like “throw away your porn”

And, refreshingly…

• NO exhaustive (and exhausting) lists of “things you should do”
• NO criticism of dads for being men and acting like men

Dads will feel respected and empowered, and gain confidence to initiate activities that build lifelong positives into their kids. Great gift or men’s group resource!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780736927239
Publisher:	Harvest House Publishers
Publication date:	03/01/2010
Pages:	187
Sales rank:	564,344
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jay Payleitner is one of the top freelance Christian radio producers in the United States. He has worked on Josh McDowell Radio, Today's Father, Jesus Freaks Radio for the Voice of the Martyrs, Project Angel Tree with Chuck Colson, and many others. He’s also a popular speaker on parenting and marriage and the author of dozen-plus books, including the bestselling 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad, 52 Things Wives Need from a Husband, and 52 Things Sons Need from Their Dad; he also created “The Dad Manifesto.” Jay has also served as an AWANA director, a wrestling coach, and the executive director of the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative; he now partners with the National Center for Fathering, whose efforts he fosters and promotes. He and his wife, Rita, live near Chicago, where they’ve raised five great kids and loved on ten foster babies.

Table of Contents

Foreword Josh McDowell 9

A Lesson from Hollywood 13

Kids Need Their Dad...

1 To Help Them Bear, the Odds 17

2 To Stop and Catch the Fireflies 19

3 To Carry the Calf Every Day 21

4 To Count the Train Cars 23

5 To Start a File Folder with Their Name on It 25

6 To Kneel or Stand by Their Bed As They Sleep, Watching, Praying, Appreciating the Gift of Our Children, and Thinking About the Meaning of Love 29

7 To Catch Them in a Lie 31

8 To Tell Them the Hamster Died As Soon As the Hamster Dies 35

9 To-Sometimes-Make an Illegal U-Turn on the Expressway and Drive 30 Miles Back to the Restaurant Where Your Son Left His Dodgers Cap 37

10 To Spy on Them 39

11 Two Words: Wallet Photos 43

12 To Answer Their Questions with Questions 45

13 To Buy Peeps the First Day They Hit the Shelves 49

14 To Understand the Ebb and Flow of Traditions 51

15 To Ignore (or Even Applaud) the Dents on the Garage Door 55

16 To Avoid the Clichés 57

17 To Get Right with His Dad 61

18 To Rent a Dolphin for an Hour 65

19 To Acknowledge the Absurdity of Participation Trophies 69

20 To Understand All Three Perspectives in the Story of the Prodigal Son 73

21 To Teach Them the Word: Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis 77

22 To Conquer the Car Seat 81

23 To Affirm Their Existence Intellectually 83

24 To Be Waiting at the Next Bridge 87

25 To Buy Them a Unicycle 91

26 To Be Their Greatest Cheerleader 93

27 To Throw Out His Porn 97

28 To Respond with Something Besides "Read a Book" When Kids Say, "There's Nothing to Do" 99

29 To See Who They Really Are 101

30 To Run Through a Vacation Checklist in the Driveway 105

31 To Make Sure His Brain Is Engaged Before Putting His Mouth in Gear 107

32 To Not Yell About Spilled Milk 111

33 To Freak Out a Little When They Lose His Socket Wrench Set 115

34 To Teach Them the World's Greatest Knock-Knock Joke 119

35 To Apply the Brakes on Slippery Slopes 125

36 To Make a Pair of Homemade Stilts 129

37 To Read Between the Lines of Psalm 127 131

38 Daughters Need Their Dad...To Willingly Do the Hokey-Pokey, the Macarena, and Even the Chicken Dance 133

39 Sons Need Their Dad...To Be Their Sparring Partner 137

Kids Need Their Dad...

40 To Establish and Enforce Some Ironclad Family Rules 141

41 To Multitask 145

42 To Take the Lead on Halloween 147

43 To Anticipate Their Every Need 151

44 To Spin a Bucket Overhead 155

45 To Be Ichthyusiastic 157

46 To Quit Golf 161

47 To Kiss His Wife in the Kitchen 165

48 To Respect Their Mom 167

49 To Set the Bar Pretty High 169

50 To Wake Them Up for a Lunar Eclipse 173

51 To Equip Them for Life Without You 177

52 To Not Confuse Heritage with Legacy 181

Blogs and More 183

Acknowledgments 185

Notes 187

Editorial Reviews

I’m delighted to see so many inspiring, practical, unexpected ideas for dads in one place.”
—from the foreword by Josh McDowell

“This is great stuff, worth any dad’s time. If you can’t benefit from this, you’re not listening. Ignore it only if you don’t want to be a better dad. The first three copies are going to my grown sons.”
—Jerry B. Jenkins, coauthor of the megaselling Left Behind series and author of over 150 other published works

“Jay Payleitner has given fathers a gift…a wise, delightful, practical, and profound book. If you’re a father, you will thank him, and if you’re not, you’ll read this book with joy and give it to a father who will ‘rise up and call you blessed.’”
—Steve Brown, seminary professor, author of Welcome to the Family and other books, and the “voice” of Key Life Network

“The stories will inspire you. The lessons will change you. Jay Payleitner shows twenty-first-century fatherhood for what it is and for what it needs to be.”
—Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, professor and author of more than 50 books, including Man to Man and The Power of Positive Productivity.

“I have been a wife for 37 years, a mom for 31, and a daughter for...well, let’s just say even longer. With those credentials, I highly recommend this book to all dads. It is a good read and, more importantly, a great guide for any man desiring to meet the needs of the children God has entrusted to his care.”
—Kendra Smiley, radio host, conference speaker, and author of Be the Parent and High-Wire Mom

“Moms of all ages, grab this book for your husbands! It’s inspiring, encouraging, and easy to read.”
—Ellen Banks Elwell, author of The Christian Mom’s Idea Book and When There’s Not Enough of Me to Go Around

“52 Things Kids Need from a Dad reminds all of us of the humbling privilege and exhilarating joy of fatherhood. You won’t find any lectures or guilt trips here. Instead, it’s more like 52 inspiring halftime talks. As your personal fathering coach, Jay will provoke you to think deep, laugh hard, and love more, leaving you with 52 unexpected fathering insights.”
—Carey Casey, CEO of The National Center for Fathering, speaker, radio host, and author of Championship Fathering

“This book is a must for dads who want to take their fathering to the next level. It's full of real-world advice anyone can take to heart and act upon. It's also fun to read with lots of stories. Formatted in short, easy-to-read chapters, you can pick it up at any time, learn something really useful, and set it down until you have a few more free minutes. I recommend this book.”
—James Read, Creative Director, Grizzard Communications Group

From the Publisher