4 Truths About Dads, Being Role Models, & Past Mistakes

Tristan Thompson has come to an important realization as a father.

You may know him as the former NBA player who went on to be in a relationship and have children with Khloé Kardashian and make regular appearances on the Kardashians’ TV show. It’s a celebrity family that’s closely followed and widely gossiped about, and our intentions are to not get caught up in that. Except for this:

Recently, Tristan expressed a concern that his children will be “embarrassed that [he’s] their father” when they eventually learn about some of his past infidelities.

Take that for what it’s worth. Maybe this father of three is doing some serious soul searching, or maybe this was a passing comment that a reporter recorded and an editor turned into a headline. Ultimately it’s up to Tristan to follow through.

But maybe the rest of us should take a longer look at how his thoughts might apply to us. It’s good for all dads to regularly ponder questions like:

How are my actions, my mistakes, my habits, and my past affecting my children?

Haven’t we all had those thoughts at some point in the fathering journey? Having children and trying to raise them to be good, responsible people should make us look at the world differently and look more closely at our own decisions, and especially our past.

As we do so, there are four important truths to keep in mind: