KirbyAndersen.com

Thirteen years ago I watched the movie, Richie Rich. With unlimited financial resources, Richie had a Dad Link - a technological wonder that allowed him to locate and talk to his dad whenever he wanted. He even interrupted his dad’s meeting with the President of the United States - and his dad took the call.

When Richie’s dad was kidnapped, the Dad Link gave the ominous message, “Dad not found.” The thought that a young boy wasn’t able to connect with his dad gripped me.

I got myself a Dad Link. The first one was simply a pager. My kids knew the number by heart and used it often. They didn’t abuse it but they knew they could get through to me if they needed me for anything. A pager was later replaced with a cell phone.

My children are all adults now yet still use the Dad Link. It’s more of an idea now. They have many choices - cell phone, text message, instant message, email. The point is they know they can get through to me when they want to for whatever reason - and they do. Sometimes it’s just a casual call. Other times it’s to celebrate some piece of good news. Occasionally they want my advice or a reminder of what I taught them years ago.

Dads, you can be the first one your child runs to no matter what. It’s even better when they don’t have to yet still do. Create a Dad Link. (Moms, I’m not trying to exclude you - you can do the same thing!)

How have you made yourself available to your child?