Commitment

Com-mit-ment: noun

1. The act of committing.

2. The state of being committed.

3. The act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.

4. A pledge or promise; obligation.

5. Engagement; involvement.

Many of us commit ourselves to updating our facebook pages everyday, washing the car 3 times a week, and indulging in certain behavior. The list goes on and on. To be fully committed to something takes a lot of time and energy BUT if you are committed to something you love; you’ll always have plenty of time and energy.

Children’s first encounter with commitment comes from their relationship with their parents. Don’t believe me?

Just look around…

See the parent and child sitting in the library/bookstore. That child knows his parent is committed to helping him learn to read.

See the parent texting his friends while “helping” his child with his homework. That child is receiving mixed signals. So… It’s ok to text while doing homework?



"YOU SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR KIDS!"



Children don’t need half-ass (excuse my French) commitments. They receive enough of those from society. Dad is not committed to his family and doesn’t come home at night. Well Dad’s children (especially boys) are going to have a difficult time learning to commit to their family and the cycle continues.

Mom is committed to going out every weekend. Well guess what mommy’s little girl is itching to do when she turns 17? I’ll give you three guesses….

Parenting is not hard; IF you are committed to doing the right thing.

I’m committed to making my child’s future brighter than my past…. PERIOD.

The One...

While I was growing up my mother would always tell me “Don’t do the crime, If you can’t do the time.”

Waaaaaaaaaaaaay back then I thought she meant the average run of the mill crime but now as a Dad I realize my mother’s words pertain to much more.

I receive e-mails and have conversations with single fathers who believe they are the “ONE”.

You know the “ONE”. We all know the “ONE”…



The Only "ONE"



The “ONE” believes he has been done wrong by everyone under the sun (his child’s mother, her mother, the system, the man) you name it they have it out for the “ONE”.

The “ONE” spends his time thinking of ways to get back at his child’s mother. Similar to a prisoner sentenced to 18 years who spends his time trying to figure a way to escape instead of contemplating what he’s going to do when he is released.

The “ONE” is stuck!!!!

The “ONE” will never admit it but he loves tension.

The “ONE” believes he is the only “ONE” who is paying child support and all the laws passed pertaining to child support have been put in place because of him.

Instead of wasting your time trying to scheme a way on how not to pay child support; Here’s an idea – Find a way to generate more income so the support payments don’t hurt as much. I’m not telling anyone to report ALL their income BUT you will pay; One-way or another.

You will be paying support to the child’s mother for AT LEAST 18 years…. You can look at it as a fine, as a bill, whatever you want to call its okay with me. So the faster you get to the point in your life when you are not thinking about the payments, the faster you can continue with your life.

One-day the “ONE” will get released back into society (looking for another woman and looking to start another family) and I hope he will have learned his lesson and if not feel free to heed some wise words from a wise woman… “Don’t do the crime, if you can’t do the time.”