About

I was a children’s pastor for over ten years. I was also a 2nd grade teacher for a few years. Yet, with all that experience with children, it never prepared me for being a dad. I’m not saying that my previous experience has no value or contributed nothing to my skills as a parent. It’s just that parenting is a very different world. There is no escape from it. The kids don’t leave at 3:20 every day. There isn’t any summer vacation. Even when I do get time off from my kids, my thoughts immediately go to them. If I am away from them for more than a day, I miss them terribly.

Being a father and husband is the best experince any man can have. I can’t understand why so many men walk away from it. I don’t mean to sound like Dr. Laura, but “I am my kid’s Dad!” How is that for a change of pace these days? Fatherhood is a concept that seems to be lost to mankind these days. About 80% of the kids I taught during my teaching career did not live with their biological father.  Many did not even know who he was. Ann Coulter recently made this controversial comment: “”Look at any societal problem, and it is a problem of single motherhood.” I disagree. I think you can blame those problems on deadbeat dads. Too many men in today’s society fail to learn what it means to be a real man! It is being a father to your children and a husband to your wife.

On this site, you will find my thoughts (a few rants here and there), experiences as a father, and reviews of products and materials that I have found helpful. Please feel free to leave comments and advice. Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Feel free to contact me at andy@trainingupchildren.com. I will do my best to answer your email. You can also follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/trainupchildren.