Since I have started blogging, I have been looking around the blogosphere for daddy blogs.  Unfortunately, I discovered that there are very few dads that blog about parenting or fatherhood and most parenting blogs are posted by moms.

My search was motivated by the fact that I wanted to find out what dads think about the characteristics of a great dad. While there were few dads blogging about parenting, some were actually very good, like zenhabits‘ list of what makes a great dad.

In reading these blogs, I was inspired to come up with my own list. However, I realized that my list would be biased since I am a dad and naturally I will list the characteristics that I have. So instead of making my own list, I asked the experts, my youngest children.

I chose CJ and Nikki because they are younger and they have an abashed honesty that all children have. I could have also asked my 3 teenagers for their input but I wanted to maintain a degree of seriousness, after all, being a dad is a serious business.

While I wanted to have at least 10 characteristics, CJ and Nikki insisted in keeping it short, simple, and sweet. They said that dads already have too much stuff to remember so 3 things will be perfect. With only three things to remember, I won’t have an excuse to forget to buy their toys.

After a grueling 30 minute interview and a pocket full of bribe candy, CJ and Nikki came up with the TOP 3 Things That Make A Great Dad!

1. Feed the Kids. Rightfully so, this is number one on CJ and Nikki’s list. Feeding the kids is obviously not limited to just making mac and cheese and popcorn for dinner. This category includes giving chips and candy at night when mama is not looking. Feeding the Kids also mean buying them a Happy Meal when they are sick. And most importantly, a dad must be able to feed the kid as the kid run around the house during dinner time.

2. Give the Kids A Home. Nikki wants me to emphasize that a home can also be an apartment since we use to live in an apartment. She also says that a dad must be able to put things in the house. And according to CJ, toys, computer, and lots of toys are the most important things in the house. However, Nikki is fine with having her own room even though her big sister keeps sleeping in her bedroom. “Oh yeah, a dad must also know how to fix the broken things around the house like fixing the toilet when it clogs because kids love to put things in the toilet like toothbrushes, toys, coins, cellphones, daddy’s wedding ring, and spoons and forks.”

3. Kiss and Hug Mama A Lot. I guess they too want their Mama happy. If I don’t kiss and hug mama, Nikki says that she might stop cooking breakfast for us and stop preparing our school lunches. CJ just wants Mama to be happy so that he can go into her home office and use her computer to go online. Need I say more?

There you have it, the Top 3 Things That Make A Great Dad, straight from the experts’ mouths. It’s short, simple, and sweet. This list is perfect for anyone’s memory threshold because if you really think about it, the majority of the people can only remember at the most, 3 things on any given list. For example, can you name all the 7 dwarfs, The 10 Commandments, and The Bill of Rights? If not, then this list is just for you.