Mothers mother. We understand that. Say you saw a man fathering a child and there may be misunderstanding. Learn the verbs of daddin'

LEAGUE CITY, TX, USA, June 10, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Mothers have a verb. They mother, which connotes caring, nurturing and tenderness. Tell someone that you saw a man fathering a child at the park and a totally different mental image comes to mind. Author Dion McInnis declared in his journal in 1998 that dads needed a verb, so he came up with “daddin’.” In 2010, the wrote the book, “Daddin’: The Verb of Being a Dad.”

As Father’s Day approaches, now is the time to honor, celebrate and enjoy the verbs of what dads and father figures do. It is the action in the moments that define the role, McInnis contends.

“Each chapter of the book, which is a collection of moments, is a verb. Havin’, lovin’, learnin’, fishin’ playin’, leavin’ and livin’, for example. Using stories as son to a father and father to three sons, the poetry, prose and stories reveal the lessons learned and the experiences of the moments,” he said.

McInnis suggests three things to live out the verb of being a dad.

Pay Attention: Pay attention to details and feelings. Listen to what you say, your children say and listen to the silence. Notice their expressions, the Play-Doh ™ on their fingernails and the things that intrigue them. There is so much going on; take the time to notice and pay attention.

It’s Not About You: Neither their success nor their “failures” are about you. You will influence your children but they become their own people. Your imprint on their lives may be the guidance you provide and the wind you put in their sails, but they will end up taking their own journeys.

It’s Just a Phase: Good times, and bad times, challenging times and celebratory ones are all just a phase. Life as a parent is ongoing and nothing is permanent except for lovin’.


“Being a parent is catch and release, to use the fishing term. We can’t keep them as kids forever, and we release them in different ways over time as they grow up in hopes of more interactions and play in the future,” McInnis said.

The first copy of the book arrived 48 hours before the arrival of his first granddaughter and he gave the copy to his son at the hospital. The last chapter of the book, titled Livin’, is primarily a love letter to her. He often shares this chapter at book readings and interviews as an overview of watching the ongoing lives of parents and their children.

Dion McInnis
Empowered Creativity Institute
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