Teaching your kids to love themselves with Vernon Gibbs II
Vernon Gibbs II believes kids should learn to love themselves more and I have to agree!
Growing up in the hood taught me that there are haters everywhere! Graduating from the streets of the Bronx to the corporate world also showed me that!
Hate is everywhere and when it comes to our kids that same hate can really mess them up!
So what’s a father to do?
Vernon Gibbs II tells us how he does it!
As fathers, there are lessons we are passing to our kids that we don’t even notice we are doing. One thing many of us don’t do enough, I included, is telling our kids the importance of loving themselves first!
No, it’s not a cocky or a conceited thing to do so!
Think of it this way, if we don’t teach our kids to love themselves or show them that we love them, who will?
Will it be school? Will it be the streets, heck will their own friends tell them how dope they are?
Let’s be serious, it’s really up to us to let them know that they are loved no matter what!
Hidden Messages, Vernon’s way!
As fathers that want our kids to know they are the best, sometimes it’s hard to push those messages without feeling like that old-school washed-up dad.
I’m one of those dads that isn’t great at showing love. You might catch me giving my sons a hug or kiss here and there but I’m not that super loving. I never learned how to do that.
Vernon actually helped me with this without even knowing. I bought his book When Good Fruit Goes Bad, to show love and support but what I got was much more.
As I sat there with my 4-year-old while my 8-year-old read to us, you could tell that Vernon had a not-so-hidden message in his book. His book was full of affirmations and reminders of how dope individuality truly is. All of it being hidden behind stories of fruits and vegetables.
The podcast
When I 1st ask Vernon Gibbs II to jump on the podcast, I really wanted to talk about getting our kids to eat vegetables especially since I’m not a huge fan of them.
I thought that would be a good talk until my son read the book. Reading it made me want to hug my kids like I was never coming back. I wanted to remind my kids not only that I loved them more than the world would ever let them know or show them but every chance I got, I also reminded them on how much they should love themselves.
Their differences in the way they look, act, think and even speak are exactly what makes them special. Being different is the real flex in life, not trying to be like everybody else.
I have Vernon Gibbs II for that! He came through and dropped gems on why kids should learn to love themselves and more!
There’s no blueprint to this but if YOU are ever in doubt, remember #FatherhoodIsLit got your back! We are here to help you become the DOPE DAD you know you already are!
- To Support Vernon Gibbs II, buy his book HERE
- To follow Vernon On IG, click @coolminivandad
- To Support the #FatherhoodIsLit movement, click HERE!
Hear more on Episode 88 below or on all major platforms like APPLE, SPOTIFY, and STITCHER.
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Want to help another dad? Shoot us a message with your tips. Email at james@cool4dads.com or dm me on Instagram at @FatherhoodIsLit
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