Mike McRoberts

Jigsaw: What does being a dad mean to you?

Mike: Of all the things I do I think that being a father is probably the most important job of all to have.  I believe that fathers should be celebrated and encouraged.  It’s the most wonderful feeling when you take part in children’s lives.

Your young children watch you and they learn by your own example.  If you’re a decent person, honest, giving, there’s every chance they will be the same. And you’ve got to have fun with your kids – they’re kids!
 
We tend to get sometimes a little caught up in what we’re doing and forget to listen to what’s going on in their worlds, and I’m guilty of it too…

Can you recall any exciting times that you’ve had with your children that really stand out?

When my son first learnt to ride a bike without trainer wheels…. Those are great moments. Even doing the gardening at home – it’s all about involvement and about them [children] feeling part of the family and wanting to contribute to it, and you being patient enough to let them.

What values do you try and teach your children?

Honesty is one of the big things.  It means that you have to be honest too.  They’re normal kids and they scrap and fight but there’s nothing menacing or sinister about it.  Normally it’s just a matter of blowing a whistle or giving one of them a yellow card or whatever. If you say “You should be honest.  What happened here?” you get the chance to talk about whatever’s happened and about why it was wrong.  To me that’s one of the biggest things.

Fathers will see your picture out there and the things that you’re saying.  What would you be hoping that they could take from that?

I want other fathers to know that it’s a good thing to be a dad. Spend some time with your family, listen and develop that relationship. 

There’s no textbook way of being a dad. The best thing to do is to look around in your community and see someone who’s a good dad.  Go and have a chat to him. What does he do? 

Have you ever heard a couple of men standing around talking about being dads? It just doesn’t happen, which is a shame because it should do.  Being a father is something to feel really proud about. So look for those opportunities, get amongst other dads.

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