The captain and the nice-guy
Most Christian books on parenting end up being a list of dos and don’ts — ideas and techniques for raising positive, healthy, believing children. In his excellent new book on fatherhood, Tony Payne argues that such books are simply missing the point...
All fathers have a personal style, a particular way of doing things.
My own father’s style was fairly typical of his generation, judging by what other men my age have told me — that is, a father who regarded his actions as more significant than his words, which were few; who expressed his love for his family through tireless, selfless toil; who didn’t have much to do with domestic chores or child-raising apart from a few clearly defined tasks (clearing the table after dinner, washing up); and who would have considered running off with another woman as an utterly low and cowardly act beyond contempt.
