June 16, 2024
Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
When you teach your son, you teach your son's son.
-- The Talmud
As we look at our own life history and begin to understand how we reached this point, we have to examine what was passed on to us by our parents and then realize that they were doing the best they could with what they had been given. We talk about the chain of transmission through generations who had problems with addictions and codependency. Many of us know that we want to break that chain so that our children don't inherit the negative patterns.
How do we break the chain of generation after generation of addiction and abuse? We become the best father we know how to be. We develop genuine relationships with our children, letting them truly know us; we tell them about our lives and listen to them talk about their lives. It isn't all about discipline; it's about having a bond and being honest in telling our children that we love and care for them. Certainly, setting limits and being consistent are important tenets, but the most important thing a father can give his child is letting his child know him.
Today, I will be engaged with my child in a genuine and open relationship.
Hazelden Foundation
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