This is part of the The Dad Toolbox series, providing tools and resources to be a great dad. Read more from the series!

Last week, we took a look at the first two P’s of dadhood. We saw that practice and patience are necessary elements to building a legacy as a great dad to your kids. The only way to get better at this dad thing is to do it over and over. But don’t get discouraged, be patient.

There are two more aspects to be considered though. While the first two P’s were somewhat simple, these next two P’s take us deeper into our training as dads.

The third P is Persistence

Persistence, at first glance, looks a lot like patience and practice put together. But even though it incorporates some of both of those aspects, it deserves a closer look on its own.

Persistence means pressing on. You and I will become great dads because of persistence. Nothing of any significance happens by chance; and that includes raising our kids. When we became fathers, we accepted a very heavy and significant responsibility to raise our children in the very best way that we can. But if we choose not to do so, others will gladly step in and do so. The world is full of predators looking for a victim. And these predators can come in a variety of forms: people, addictions, crime and violence, even apathy.

In order to become a great dad, we must keep at it at all times. The stakes are too high to relax as a parent, even for a short time.

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, said “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Stick to it, Dad! Don’t ever give up. Give your best; give your all; and then give some more. Your kids are worth it!

The fourth P is Perspective

Sometimes the best thing you can do as a dad is keep a proper perspective. It’s tough to do so all the time though. You may have had to set aside your dreams and plans for your life because of your kids. You certainly have to make daily sacrifices in order to be a great dad.

But that’s all okay. Keeping the proper perspective enables you to parent strategically. I cannot approach parenting my three year old in the same manner as I do my thirteen year old. That doesn’t even make any sense, although too many dads do just that. They treat their children either as older than they really are, forcing maturity before they are ready, or they treat them as younger than they are, creating feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.

But by keeping the proper perspective, we can make the right choices, and that is crucial.

As a youth minister, I frequently hear parents say things such as “When our kids grow up and leave, we plan to…” I don’t like hearing this, to be honest. By focusing on what they want to do after their kids move out, they are missing out on the things that are happening with their kids now. And later, they will look back and regret it.

Keeping the proper perspective means being present in the moment. Live in the now. Celebrate the fact that you have kids daily. If you have more than one, celebrate the fact that they are each at different stages of growth and development. But don’t wish them out of those stages.

My wife and I miss the days when our older children were learning how to walk and talk. And we enjoy watching our younger kids learn those things. But we also love that fact that our older children now have different interests and passions that we can share with them. By keeping all this in perspective, I can be a better dad. But when I lose that perspective, I miss out, and my kids do as well.

Persistence and perspective are essential elements to being a great dad, just as practice and patience are. By learning how to apply these four elements, you and I can become a dad that will leave a lasting legacy!

And that’s a great goal to strive for!

If you are a dad, rate yourself on a 1 to 10 scale in each of these areas. How do you think you do in these areas? You can share your thoughts in the comment section below.