I know a lot of moms use online forums to complain about the fathers of their children and their shortcomings, especially on Father’s Day. This is not one of those posts. While I, at times, get annoyed by my significant other, surely he feels the same about me and my neuroses.

This post is about my favorite qualities in my husband as a father to our kids. I think these traits are universally good traits for Dads to possess.

He always makes them smile.

Whether it’s funny voices, actively playing or just being silly, it warms my heart when I see the 3 of them having so much fun together. He’s not too serious to have fun with our kids, and I hope they always remember that as they grow up. He’s the Dad that will crawl around on the floor even when his back hurts.

He puts his kids first.

A few months ago, my husband accepted a new job. At the time, the baby was still coming to work with me while our daughter was at daycare. He immediately requested flexibility to be able to help with pick up and drop off. It may seem small, but it was a priority to him. He always pulls his weight as a parent. He is a true partner, which I recognize is not the case for all couples.

Divide and Conquer.

Somehow, bedtime at our house has gone off the rails. It has morphed into a series of trips to the bathroom, snacks(I know, awful habit), singing, storytelling, and negotiating with our 3-year-old dictator. My husband does an amazing job of putting up with all of the chaos, meeting the reasonable demands, and keeping his cool. I typically nurse the baby while he tries to calm the “threenager”. We alternate who actually gets her to fall asleep, which is a great strategy. We’ve learned to share the difficult tasks parenting throws our way.

Role Model.

As a partner, I truly believe he’s a wonderful role model for both of our children. For our daughter, she sees a man should treat his wife with respect and love. He treats me as an equal, as he should. For our son, well, he’s 1, so he’s not paying much attention yet, but my hubs helps with everything from cooking to cleaning demonstrating that taking care of the home can be shared by both parents, especially when both work outside the home.

Finding Balance.

He provides the perfect balance of support, discipline, and love to our kids that I believe will help them grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults. Raising kids is hard, but he does his best to encourage them to try new things, like playing soccer or riding a bike. When our daughter is sad, he consoles her and tries hard to find something to ease her pain, even if she’s mad about something that appears irrational to adults, like finding a worm that is dried up. I recently heard him tell her that the worm just needed a drink, so they tossed it into the creek. It made her so very happy. Of course, he doesn’t give into her every whim and finds the appropriate level of discipline for a 3-year-old.

Hands-On Dad

I am so thankful he wants to be so involved in our kids’ lives. I hear of other Dads who say they have to “babysit” their own kids. No, you don’t babysit your own kids. You parent them. And he does such a great job! Not only is he involved, but his parenting style is so in-sync with mine. He gladly changes cloth diapers, babywears and is very supportive of breastfeeding. It makes life so much better to have someone who is on your side.

Happy Father’s Day!

So, with all the being said. Happy Father’s Day, Brett. You’re one good Dad and I’m so happy to have you as my partner!

Happy Father’s Day to all the great Dads! Show the Dad in your life some love in the comments.