When Aaron Dickson from Bellingham, created this video with his daughter Analynne, he had no idea how it would “explode” in popularity. It has had over 8 million views on YouTube. It shares a message that is important for all of us.
Aaron is accustomed to the idea of pursuing his daughters’ hearts from a very young age. Having two daughters just 18 months apart, he shared with me that he, like all of us, struggles with parenting and recognizes he is not perfect! On this particular day that he went on a date with Analynne, it was not a struggle or something he was doing in order to get views on You Tube. What most people do not know is that he made this video initially as an advertisement for an insurance company he runs with Lairs Johnston and Dan Pritchett. A company that donates all profits to charity.
Through this video Aaron has been able to share a very important message with the world:
We ALL have a Father in heaven that loves us dearly and, because of that; we do not need to seek attention in unhealthy ways.
While the idea of intentionally dating your daughter in a way that makes her feel valued and loved and is part of how Aaron raises his girls, it is something that many little girls don’t experience. Little girls want to feel adored and loved. As they get older, they will continue to crave that. They need to learn from a very early age that they ARE loved and that it doesn’t come from just dating boys and getting the wrong kind of attention. Aaron dates his daughters intentionally and with focused time away from distractions. It isn’t always with dresses and backyard dinners. His youngest daughter, Kyrie, prefers to put on comfy clothes and climb on the monkey bars. You approach it differently depending on your child.
I do not have a close relationship with my dad. He wasn’t invited to my wedding and my brother walked me down the aisle. Now, being the mom to a son and a daughter, I am constantly thinking about how my husband and I will foster healthy and strong relationships with our children. We will make mistakes. We are human. But, we won’t give up pursuing our children’s hearts.
Aaron has now had the opportunity to share his message on Good Morning America, Inside Edition, an interview with Michael W. Smith and will even be on the Steve Harvey show next month. The message and values behind this video are important to all of us. As Aaron says, “The journey of parenthood brings us to our knees everyday.”
Think about the ways that you can spend intentional, undivided time with your children. How does that time change as they get older? What do you already do to foster relationships with them?
~by Stephanie O’Farrell, allmomdoes blogger
This blog was originally posted on www.allmomdoes.com. Real Moms. Real Connections. allmomdoes is an online community for moms to share, connect and get to know one another. We strive to provide encouragement and relationship for moms at every stage. We look forward to having you join the conversation online or on facebook at www.facebook.com/allmomdoes.
allmomdoes is part of CRISTA Media.
Comments