Review of “Dads Matter” by Bob Hazleton
I have no idea what’s happened to BookDads.com but I don’t like leaving things unfinished so here’s a review of a book they sent me to… well … review.
When I first got the book “Dads Matter” by Bob Hazleton, the cover didn’t impress me (shallow, I know) but there’s a lesson there about first impressions somewhere. Was the content better than the cover? Read on to find out and, along the way, see an inspiring video of Obama’s Father’s Day Speech in 2008 and discover the five things your children want to hear from you!
Description: In years of working with at-risk teens and their families, Bob Hazleton found that fathers are critically important to their children. In Dads Matter, Bob Hazleton demonstrates just how important dads are by sharing his experience with teens. Compelling personal stories from people across the country also illustrate the remarkable power and lasting influence of dads.
To read some sample pages, download the first chapter from the Author’s website.
What to Expect: The table of contents below gives you a very good idea of what topics are covered in the book:
Incredible Dad Opinion: Overall, I found that while there was some good information for fathers in the book, there was a bit too much referencing of other books and a few too many anecdotal stories for my taste. Perhaps its simply a reflection of what I look for in this type of book (i.e. give me tips and just enough anecdotes or references to reinforce the point) but there were several points during the reading of the book where I simply flipped through the pages to get to the ‘meat’.
That being said, one part of the book I enjoyed was where the author lists “Eight Damaging Things Dads Do or Say To Their Kids” then immediately follows with “Five Things Your Children Want To Hear From You”.
According to the author, the 5 things are:
“Yes” – “When your child is asking to spend some time with you, just say Yes.”
“I’m proud of you.” – “This is THE one thing that teens say they want to get more often from their dads.”
“Good job.” – “This is like “I’m proud of you” but for small, simple things.”
“No” - “Your job as a dad, and as a parent, is to set boundaries… As fathers, one of our jobs is to prepare our kids for the world.”
“I love you.” – “Let’s teach our kids that dads can express love… through words!”
Barack Obama’s 2008 Father’s Day Speech (referenced in book)
Best Aspects of Book: There are some good tips within this book such as “Kids remember the small stuff” (pg.101) and how to really communicate with your kids through authentic listening when you “…sit down, shut up and listen, really listen … without agenda, bias or response.” (pg.130)
Worst Aspects of Book: To find the tips, you need to wade through a lot of anecdotes and references to other books. I also think it needs a new cover.
In Summary: There are enough good tips to warrant a look at this book as well as a lot of good reviews on Amazon.com.
Book Website: http://www.dadsmatter.com/
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