Every child needs a father. Every child has a father. Some are present, and some are not. Nonetheless, fathers are needed now more than ever. One of the most positive ways a father can instill values in his children is by spending quality time with them. I’ve counseled hundreds of dads, many of whom believed they needed more money to be relevant and meaningful in their children’s lives. While money is certainly a key component to help improve the quality of life for all of humanity, money alone is not the sole determinant factor in being a father of great worth.

What makes a great dad is the time spent with a child, and the training and instruction passed down. I remember ever so clearly how my father taught me all of the values that I know. Before I could hardly walk, my dad taught me lessons that I hold on to until now. Every year my dad saved all of his change for the entire year, pennies, dimes, nickels, quarters, and half-dollars. He’d hold them in a huge glass container; it looked like the water containers on-water machines. He would tell me that when Christmas came, I’d have enough money to buy gifts for my family and friends.

So, my dad taught me the value of saving, teaching me to put something aside from everything I would earn. But he also taught me the importance of giving. As a toddler, I knew that all the money I was saving was to help make someone’s Christmas special. When I was six, my dad told me I’d have to provide for a family one day. He taught me how to treat women with respect and honor and how to create a budget and live within that budget. He taught me fiscal responsibility.

He’d say, “Don’t live on credit because you’ll be broke. If you can’t pay for it outright, then don’t buy it.” I come from a family of business owners. My dad invested in real estate and owned and managed dozens of multi-family properties. He’d pay me five bucks to clean and prep apartments after his tenants moved out. Five bucks was a lot of money for an eight-year-old. But more than the money was the principle of hard work. That’s what he taught me.

My dad also taught me the value of having faith and believing in something greater than myself. I learned these values from my father, not because he told me, but because he demonstrated these principles in front of me every day. Children need one on one instruction and training. Whether you have a lot of money or if you could use more, a father’s value to his child is priceless. Take advantage of every moment with your child to teach, instruct, demonstrate, and, more importantly, to love.

I want to wish every dad an incredible and Happy Father’s Day. You have a significant task to fulfill, but you are equipped with everything you need to do the job with excellence.

Dr. Aaron Lewis

19th June, 2022