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12 Life Lessons Learned from My Father

June 17, 2016 by Chris Bernholdt

life-lessons-dad-bernholdt
The author and his father, many years ago.

Dad lessons — they special things that fathers pass on to sons. Here’s an even dozen I’ve learned over the years.

1. Love your family with all your heart and soul because they are the only ones you get in life and life is fleeting so enjoy every moment.

2. Life is better when you carry around a balled up paper towel in your hand because you never know when you are going to need one.

3. Toothpicks should be carried with you at all times.

4. “The trip is not over until you have unpacked.”

5. There is no such thing as “too much” outdoor illumination when it comes to Christmas lights.

6. Loading the dishwasher is an art and should be treated as such.

7. Breaking down boxes is the key to maximizing recycling efforts. Also, garbage night is a special day in your life, relish it.

8. You can’t really enjoy your dining experience unless someone reads the menu to you.

9. White Lithium Grease is the best lubricant on Earth. If you need something unstuck just use WLG. Can also be used to deter squirrels for your bird feeder. Is there anything that WLG CAN’T DO?

10. No job is ever complete in the eyes of a Bernholdt until you have injured yourself in some way. A few choice words after said injury will make the injury heal much faster. Rubbing some dirt on it and walking it off is always better than adhesive bandages.

11. TV sports announcers are terrible so whenever possible, turn the sound off and position the radio as close to your head as possible while watching. This will enhance your viewing pleasure and you will know two seconds beforehand what really happens.

12. Yelling at the TV when your sports teams are playing is always going to help you win.

What dad lessons have you learned?

dad lessons chris-bernholdt
The author and his father in recent years.

A version of this first ran on DadNCharge.

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Filed Under: education, National, parenting advice Tagged With: Father's Day, holidays, life lessons, tips

About Chris Bernholdt

Philly Dads Group co-founder Chris Bernholdt, a former public school art teacher, has been a stay-at-home dad since 2008. A father of three, Chris writes about his adventures as a stay-at-home dad at DadNCharge and is also on Twitter as @DadNCharge. His writing has been featured on CNN iReport, The Good Men Project and he is a contributor to the website, Life of Dad. He lives with his wife, Susie, and their children in a suburb of Philadelphia.

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