Monthly Archives: March 2013

Sophisticated Fathering

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Sophisticated Fathering

Want to be a good dad? Be a role model.
Want to be a great dad? Make your kids the role model.

Corey Hague

I told my son Corey when I come to a fork in the road and don’t know which way is right, I ask myself “what would Corey do?”

It’s the next level.

Every day I hear stories of fathering. I’ve learned something I didn’t expect. Being a role model for your daughter or son is not as important as making them want to be a role model for you.

I’ve seen examples of not-so-good dads, with a child intent on setting him straight. How? The child becomes an example of everything right. I don’t recommend being a bad dad in the hope your kids will come to the rescue. But, consider this…   READ MORE 

Dad, I’m so proud of you.

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‘Dad, I’m so proud of you.’

Greg Hague's sons

Corey, Brian, Casey & Jason
I’m so proud of my sons.

This morning my son made me sad. We were talking about Savvy Dad stuff. There was a momentary lull in the conversation. Then Brian said,

“Dad, I’m so proud of you. What you’re doing is so special – and you’re working so hard. Just wanted you to know how I feel.”

My heart lit up. Are there more powerful words between father and son?
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To Your Child —A Promise Kept is Invaluable

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A promise to his little girl long ago. It was time to deliver, he knew. The price he would pay! Leave a career. Start over. Forge a new life.

Lise Webb Johnson, executive editor of John Wiley and Sons, is our Savvy Dad guest today. A mom herself, Lise told us she often thinks about a special day, her dad, and a promise he made.
Lise Webb Johnson

Lise Webb Johnson

Lise was just 9. She sat weeping on the floor of a hall closet in their Springhill, Kansas home. It was moving day…again.

“Dad was in senior management while I was growing up,” she recalls. “We had to move—a lot. This was our fifth in ten years.

The strain of always being the ‘new girl’ wore thin. It was hard to make new friends, to adjust and fit in.   READ MORE 

Ronald Reagan’s Fatherly Advice on Love

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It was a watershed moment…a big day in his life.

Reagan Family 1981

Reagan Inaugural Family Photo 1981
Michael standing third from left, holding his son Cameron

1971 – Michael Reagan was about to be married. His dad wanted to share important advice.

A brilliant man, Ronald Reagan imparted much to his children, but perhaps most touching were his lessons in love. It was a subject this famous father knew well; his legendary marriage to Nancy spanned half a century.   READ MORE 

Feeling Uncomfortable — A Trade-Off

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Feeling Uncomfortable — A Trade-Off

The first date. That big interview. A trip to strange lands.

This is about strain…and the chance for gain.

Our guest today is a new father, author, speaker and entrepreneur, soon a PhD. Jordan Jensen is a young man, an overachiever extraordinaire.

Jordan Jensen

Jordan Jensen and his father

Who showed him the way? A quite savvy dad…a long ago time.
It’s a childhood story of fear. It’s a life message all kids should hear.

At 11 years old, did I ever feel uncomfortable on that camping trip? A week in the woods, the longest I had ever been away, a lifetime it seemed. I wasn’t making friends. I felt alone. I was out of place.   READ MORE 

How Young Men Succeed in Life

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Savvy Dad is usually about what we learn from our dads. Today is different. It’s what we learn from our kids.

Corey, doing what he never imagined -- loving each day.

Corey, doing what he never imagined —
loving each day.

I could write glowingly of each of my sons. In fact, I plan to. How they’ve handled their challenges in life. How far they’ve come, and how proud I am.

I’m starting with Corey. He’s incredibly smart and a really great guy. I feel certain his brothers agree.

Most young people have a burning desire to make it, but don’t know how. Or, they think they do, but really don’t. The latter is probably more often the case.   READ MORE