Not every man is cut out to be a father. If the thought of fatherhood fills you with fear, maybe it isn’t for you or maybe it’s a sign that you take the responsibility of fatherhood seriously.

As a parent, you are always going to have to trust your instincts (本能). There’s no comprehensive rule book on parenting. You’ll screw up sometimes. (Hopefully, your husband or wife will be there to nudge (用肘推) you in the right direction. ) And, as in many other aspects of life, doing the right thing will rarely make you popular. Your kids will need limits and discipline, and some days they will get angry with you for it. But the kids know on some level that they need limits and that the responsible parent who is setting and enforcing them is doing so because he or she cares. It’s the children whose parents allow them to do anything they want who often harbor doubts about whether they are really loved.

Certainly, we can find meaning in a lot of places in life. But for most of us who have seen the emergence of a small baby, fatherhood gives life unparalleled meaning. Parenthood, for a lot of us, may well be an antidepressant—not because you always feel good, but because you no longer have any time to sit around feeling bad. Your kids will always need you in one way or another—first for bottle-feeding, then as fellow pretend superheroes and to apply Band-Aids to skinned knees, and then, when they are teenagers, as a free personal Uber service or, once in a great while, for unexpected deep talks about the meaning of life.

I know what I did with my kids day after day, night after night, year over year, mattered so much. I won’t pretend to have everything figured out about life, but I did figure out the immeasurable value in being one link in a great chain of family, stretching back to our ancestors and continuing into the future, into whatever the world throws at us next.

How to Improve Your Mother-Daughter Relationship

You don't always get on well with your daughter. She might be busy with her things while you might be busy with yours. When you try to talk to her, she doesn't listen. Does either of these situations sound like you? 【小题1】

Set aside time to spend with her.

【小题2】 Pick a certain day of the week or time of the day when both of you are free, like Saturdays or Sundays. It's good to do it the same day and time so you and she can remember when your special time together is. Summer is a great time to do things together. During that time your daughter will likely be out of school. However, on weeknights, she will probably be quite busy with her schoolwork. 【小题3】

Listen.

Not only should your daughter listen to you, but you must listen as well. If you don't, she'll think it's okay to not pay attention. She'll be aware that you aren't truly listening and it isn't a pleasant feeling. While you are listening, look at her and have good eye contact with her. 【小题4】 Listen to what she wants to do. For example, if your daughter wants to go to a movie, don't just say "No" right away. See what you can do; look at what movies are playing, or ask her what movie she wants to see.

Trust your daughter as best you can.

Trust can be difficult, but it's the key basis of any relationship. 【小题5】 If you lie often and catch her lying a lot, for instance, start being honest yourself. Always keep your promises. If something comes up that prevents you from keeping a promise, be sure to let her know about it.