Sometimes to be an accountable father you must not smile, even though you are overwhelmed with joy and love for your child as the beautiful new being who is so smart and pure and loving and courageous.

When James does something that he 'shouldn't', I must maintain that this behaviour is not good (HE is always good). Smiling kinda negates the notion that a behaviour was 'bad'; even for a mind as young as James'.

As for the rest of the time...

Keep smiling,
Joshua Guffey

Watch your child's demenor and subtle ques and you'll understand them much more deeply. You'll grow to understand what they feel and sometimes, if you're lucky, why. There's a knowing that occurs when you've watched closely enough to clearly see your child's need, as it is arising, rather than during a tantrum.

Once I anticipated James' need before he realized what was wrong. And at the moment that I provided him the solution he had an 'aha!' moment of "that's what I need!" and then he looked at me and said with his eyes "I know I'm loved because you knew Exactly what I needed!"

Keep doing your best to 'be there' for real,

Joshua Guffey

www.Twitter.com/joshuaguffey
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