Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast where we provide one lesson every day to help you with your

most important job being a dad. These are lessons inspired by ancient philosophy, by practical

wisdom, and insights from dads all over the world.

Thank you for listening, and we hope this helps.

How to deter them.

There are things we don't want our kids to do. We set up rules. We create

punishments. We supervise them closely. And it works to a degree, but it's also exhausting.

Meanwhile, we neglect, as we've discussed a thousand times, the most powerful deterrent and the most influential

motivator, our own actions. Fathers above all, Plutarch tells us, by not misbehaving and by doing

as they ought to do, make themselves a manifest example to their children so that the latter,

by looking at their father's lives as a mirror, may be deterred

from disgraceful deeds and words. For those who are themselves involved in the same errors as those

for which they rebuke their erring sons, unwittingly accuse themselves in their son's names.

Our kids can't always understand what we tell them. They don't always grasp the reasons or

the logic of the consequences levied upon them. That's because reason and logic we use to make those

rules and set those punishments is beyond the capacity of most young children. They do watch us,

though. They see what we are doing. They see what we get away with. They see what we value and don't value. And they have no problem understanding what their eyes are telling them. Actions speak louder than words. We tell them that. We also show them that. And if you don't want them to do something, if you want to deter them from something, let your actions

be the guide. Let your life both spur and deter them be their inspiration. You're listening to

a daily dad podcast, one meditation a day inspired to help you do your most important job,

which is be a great father.

These are meditations inspired by ancient wisdom, psychological research, and just great

strategies from normal dads just like you. Thanks for listening.

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