Yes, we know you’ve asked yourself this question: what do women really want? Well, we probably can’t completely answer that question, but we did poll the wonderful ladies of NFI to find out what they think constitutes a great dad. We thought they had some pretty good ideas:
 Kayla from Austin, TX wrote out a practical list of what she thinks a great dad looks like. She and her husband Chris (another fabulous NFI staff member) are the proud parents of two girls. Here's Kayla' list:
- Takes an interest in what issues/events his children are passionate about;
- Has one-on-one time with each child daily (even if it is 5 minutes at the end of the day);
- Learns to use the technology that teenagers are using to communicate with them and monitors these technology outlets so that appropriate boundaries are kept;
- Gives affection freely when the children are little and when they are older determines what amount of affection they require so as not to embarrass them when they are teenagers;
- Sets the standard for a good husband and male role model so that daughters and sons will have a great example for their own lives;
 Judy (pictured with her husband and daughter) from Indianapolis, IN, noted some of the things she remembers about her father: “Some of my fondest memories...were when I was in junior high and I would go with my father when he had sales calls to make out of town...we would ride and talk during the drive and I would wait in the car while he went on his call and afterward he would tell me about what he sold, etc. He would tell me about the town we were in, etc. It was a special time. As we both got older, we would sit on his favorite bench overlooking the intercoastal waterway in Florida and just talk about his life and mine.”
 But what if your father was absent – does that mean you can’t be a great dad to your own children? Evelyn, an NFI staff member from Pittsburgh, PA noted that though her husband’s father wasn’t present during his childhood, he didn’t let that stop him: “My husband is a great dad based on what he lacked as a child. Since there was divorce in his life at a young age, he knows how important it is to be there for the little things in his kids’ lives.” Evelyn went on to note that her husband would “pretend he ha[d] ‘time on his hands’ to listen to songs, practice readings, and review homework; knowing that he could fall asleep at any moment from working a 12 hour shift.”
And Lisa from Reston, VA also has a unique perspective on the importance of a father’s engaged presence in his children’s lives: “...I did not grow up with a dad and I only met him once in my lifetime. I would have to say what makes a great dad is physical and emotional presence. You have to not only be there but be engaged. In addition to that, I believe it takes a high level of commitment. Children need to know that no matter how difficult things get their dad is always going to be there.”
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