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.

This is how you teach them.

There is so much you want to teach them when they're little, when they're teenagers, when they're just out of the house and about to get married, when they are struggling at their job when they are raising kids of their own. What's the best way to do that? Well, depending on their age, one way would be to give them very explicit instructions. Do this. Listen to what I say. Here's how this works. That's the easiest way.

Maybe even the most natural way. But does it work? Well, that's another question. You can teach them

through your own behavior, as we have talked about before. But that takes time and isn't always the

right solution when someone has a problem right now and has come

to you for advice. So are there any other ways? What about stories? Lincoln, for instance, was famous

about making his points obliquely, often through anecdotes. They say, I tell a great many stories,

he once said. I reckon I do, but I have learned from long experience

that plain people take them as they run are more easily influenced through the medium of a proud

and humorous illustration than any other way. Jesus did that same thing. Rarely did he come out

and say what he meant. He preferred parables and stories and little anecdotes that made you

think. And it's turned out to be pretty effective over the years. And so it will be with your kids.

We learn through stories, whether it's the story of Cincinnati or a story about the time you were their age.

We learn when people share moments of vulnerability of their hard

one experience. We don't like it when people tell us the point. We like it when they show us.

So stop thinking about giving them all the answers and start thinking of stories. It is, as always,

the best way to teach. Thanks for listening to the Daily Dad podcast. Please leave us a review. It helps.

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