We are approaching Father’s Day on June 16th, a date that is also celebrated in many countries around the world, and as a father myself, it started me wondering about my role as a Dad for my daughter, Mila.

Am I a good father? Do I act as a role model for her? Do I provide inspiration?

As a school governor I have been thinking a lot about our education systems. Do our schools, colleges and universities even touch on the subject of being a parent? Probably one of the most difficult roles we ever take on in our life.

In fact, the more I thought, the more I realised that schools also do not cover some other equally important aspects of our life.

Consider your career choice … one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. Has anyone really supported you and helped you consider what would make you passionate when it came to the job you chose? Certainly things have got better since I was at school … in my days it was the simple “should you be a policeman or postman or lawyer” approach. However, even today, no one really seems to challenge you to consider what would really make you happy in your work … something you are likely to do for a significant part of your life.

Another major decision many people make is in choosing someone as their life partner, someone they will spend the rest of their life with. What a decision. Did anyone ever help you think that one through? What is important? What do you really want from the relationship? How can you possibly tell if the person is the one for you?

Is it possible that our educational processes can help with any of these three major roles you may take on?

* Being a father …

* Finding the right career path …

* Falling in love with the right person …

Can you be ‘educated’ to guarantee success in these roles?

The best solution, in my view, is to learn from the experiences that we have … experiences that then guide us to make the best decisions in our life.  And that brought me back to where I started. Inspiring Dads. As a parent we have such a responsibility to give our children the experiences that inspire them to make the right choices in their life.

Not easy is it? But it is fun trying!

Happy Father’s Day.

Neil

Neil Coxon is founder and Managing Director of FROM YOU TO ME