2. Be a role model for your child

Children's brains are like sponges. They take in information from the world all around them amazingly quickly, but in terms of behaviour they learn particularly quickly by watching their own parents. They observe how to speak to people, what attitudes to adopt, and how to cope with the different situations life throws at you.

As a result, one of the duties that arises on becoming a parent is related to your own behaviour; because now you are not only responsible for yourself, but your house and life has become a giant classroom for your own son(s) or daughter(s) social and cultural education.  

On the negative side of this, some kids can easily pickup violente temperaments, swearing, rudeness, laziness etc. from their parents. But on the positive side, if you display positive behaviours you have a chance to be idolised and admired more than ever before by another human being; you have the chance to become someone's role model for life. 

Here are some key elements you can include in your own day-to-day behaviours, to make you a role model for your own child and anyone else you meet.

1. Be honest and fair - Whatever situation you are in, you can be a force for good if you just tell the truth, and always be on the side of fairness; even if it doesn't result in the most beneficial or desired outcome for you or someone you know. People will trust you.

2. Work hard and take pride in everything you do - Whether or not you have a physical job, you should go about your daily work and chores with care, skill and attention. You don't have to work long hours or be doing complex work, but when you are doing any task you should concentrate on it and try to do it well. People will respect you.

3. Be kind - People who are rude or aggressive to others, who make nasty comments, or who play games to try and alienate or hurt other people are normallly battling some internal inadequacy in their own self. Because they can't fight themselves, they fight other people as proxies. But it's a game they can never win; they only even find new opponents. If you want to be truly happy you need to be friendly and welcoming to others. Imagine people you come across in life like a child or beloved relative of your own, and treat them how you would wish for them to be treated in the same situation.

4. Be calm and measured - Panicking or taking extreme action is rarely a good option, but these things are part of human nature, so we do tend towards them. However, in the 21st Century you're unlikely to encounter a pack of wild wolves or have your village attacked by Vikings at night. So one of the most fundamental aspects of being a developed, civilised Dad is the ability to be patient, avoid getting physically angry and take rational decisions. The underlying emotions can and will still be there - envy, greed, hurt, shock, anger etc. - but the trick is to identify them when they arise, consider why you feel that way, take a pause and contemplate all your options before responding to the situaion in a considered way (often the best option is to just ignore it and remove yourself from the situation if you can) .

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Good Dad Rule:

Children copy the behaviour they see in their parents - so make sure to always set an example of how they should behave with your own actions.

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[Tip A common problem for many dads, where they can feel like they let themselves down, is arguing with their wives in front of their children. All couples argue, so it's not realistic to aspire to a situation where you don't have arguments. A good tip instead is to explain to your wife why you wan't to stop arguing in front of the children, and agree that if a disagreement arises you can either (a) agree to flag it to discuss later that evening after the kids have gone to bed, or (b) agree to step out into another room or the garden where you can discuss it in private]