Hey MOM, we see you!
We know you do so much to make sure your husband and kid can experience a DADCAMP weekend! We've created a guide just for you to help navigate the days after DADCAMP.
A Mom’s Guide to After DADCAMP
DADCAMP’s mission is to build STRONGER FATHERS who build STRONGER FAMILIES. This weekend, your husband spent a lot of time learning about what it looks like to be a strong father and how to be the best DAD he can be for your kid(s). He spent time learning, playing, discussing and strengthening his relationship with your kid(s).
Your husband and kid(s) have had an incredible weekend at DADCAMP, but sometimes it may be difficult for them to know exactly how to describe their time together. Here’s a guide to help create conversations once their DADCAMP weekend is over!
Your husband and kid(s) have had an incredible weekend at DADCAMP, but sometimes it may be difficult for them to know exactly how to describe their time together. Here’s a guide to help create conversations once their DADCAMP weekend is over!
LEARNING
This weekend, your husband got a book called “The Good Dad” by Jim Daly. In the book, Jim touches on the idea that dads are WILD CARDS.
If you’ve ever played the card game UNO, then you know that wild cards do a few things. Wild cards can change the gameplay - the entire game shifts when someone lays down a wild card! Wild cards are also irreplaceable in the game - there’s no other card like a wild card! Wild cards also bring hope - when you get one in your hand, you know you’ve got a chance to win! That makes wild cards pretty special!
Throughout the weekend, we talked to your husband and kid(s) about how we believe DADs are the WILD CARDs for families!
Here’s what we mean.
1. WILD CARDS are not perfect, but they are irreplaceable.
2. WILD CARDS change the play.
3. WILD CARDS bring hope.
As a WILD CARD, your husband has unique attributes that he brings to your family. These will vary based on who God made your husband to be. Jim Daly says his wild card vision for fatherhood is defined by these four words: Love, Faith, Integrity, and Kindness. These are the four things he believes are the backbone of the way he wants to love and lead his family. This weekend, your husband also came up with his own four words that he believes define his fatherhood. Take time to ask him what those four words are.
If you've got a middle schooler, your child also took the time to write down four words they believe define your husband. Take time to ask your kid what four words they wrote down.
We also talked with both your kid and your husband about the importance of being reliable. It’s important for kids to have a DAD they can count on! We asked DADs to evaluate how present they are in these four ways for your kids: Physically, Emotionally, Mentally, and Spiritually.
Your elementary student learned that God is reliable and we can always count on him because he cares for us! We also learned that God is our heavenly Father, and he created our DADs in His image. That means that our DADs are also supposed to be reliable people we can count on.
Ask your kid to tell you some of the characteristics of God that make Him someone we can count on.
Ask your kid to tell you why they believe they can count on their DAD.
If you’ve ever played the card game UNO, then you know that wild cards do a few things. Wild cards can change the gameplay - the entire game shifts when someone lays down a wild card! Wild cards are also irreplaceable in the game - there’s no other card like a wild card! Wild cards also bring hope - when you get one in your hand, you know you’ve got a chance to win! That makes wild cards pretty special!
Throughout the weekend, we talked to your husband and kid(s) about how we believe DADs are the WILD CARDs for families!
Here’s what we mean.
1. WILD CARDS are not perfect, but they are irreplaceable.
2. WILD CARDS change the play.
3. WILD CARDS bring hope.
As a WILD CARD, your husband has unique attributes that he brings to your family. These will vary based on who God made your husband to be. Jim Daly says his wild card vision for fatherhood is defined by these four words: Love, Faith, Integrity, and Kindness. These are the four things he believes are the backbone of the way he wants to love and lead his family. This weekend, your husband also came up with his own four words that he believes define his fatherhood. Take time to ask him what those four words are.
If you've got a middle schooler, your child also took the time to write down four words they believe define your husband. Take time to ask your kid what four words they wrote down.
We also talked with both your kid and your husband about the importance of being reliable. It’s important for kids to have a DAD they can count on! We asked DADs to evaluate how present they are in these four ways for your kids: Physically, Emotionally, Mentally, and Spiritually.
Your elementary student learned that God is reliable and we can always count on him because he cares for us! We also learned that God is our heavenly Father, and he created our DADs in His image. That means that our DADs are also supposed to be reliable people we can count on.
Ask your kid to tell you some of the characteristics of God that make Him someone we can count on.
Ask your kid to tell you why they believe they can count on their DAD.
THE IMPACT
This weekend may have been really emotionally and spiritually impactful for your husband. You’re probably going to want to know more about what he learned because you’re excited for him, and that’s great! Give him time to process and know that he will share more of his heart with you in the days and weeks to come.
“But what if it doesn’t seem like it impacted him at all?” We promise, it did. Be patient and trust that God is constantly chasing after all of us because he loves and cares for us.
“My husband came home a totally different person, but I’m not sure how I feel about it.” We get that change can sometimes feel strange. Maybe your husband came home asking to attend church, and he never has before. Maybe your husband came home and wanted to talk about reorganizing your families priorities. Take time to talk to him about his WHY, and know that this is a conversation for both of you to have together. Encourage your husband, because at the end of the day, he wants to be a good DAD and husband.
Maybe your husband came home and shared something very personal or confessed something to you. First, know that your husband is doing this because he loves you and he loves your kids. Second, know that this was probably extremely difficult for him. Some things you may be able to process and work through together. Other things may require a little more help for both of you to move forward.
If you need help processing something major, we encourage you to reach out to your pastor or someone on your church staff first. They will be equipped to help or connect you with someone who can help you with counseling or other needs. If you don’t have a home church, we encourage you to reach out to someone you trust that can connect you with the right resources.
Know that we encourage men who are struggling with addictions, infidelity, trauma or abuse to seek professional help through licensed therapists and medical professionals in addition to seeking biblical/wise counsel. If you need help connecting to someone who can help your family, please reach out to strongerfathers@dadcamp.org.
We have several resources available on our DADCAMP app that can help you too - check them out under our “Resources” tab.
“But what if it doesn’t seem like it impacted him at all?” We promise, it did. Be patient and trust that God is constantly chasing after all of us because he loves and cares for us.
“My husband came home a totally different person, but I’m not sure how I feel about it.” We get that change can sometimes feel strange. Maybe your husband came home asking to attend church, and he never has before. Maybe your husband came home and wanted to talk about reorganizing your families priorities. Take time to talk to him about his WHY, and know that this is a conversation for both of you to have together. Encourage your husband, because at the end of the day, he wants to be a good DAD and husband.
Maybe your husband came home and shared something very personal or confessed something to you. First, know that your husband is doing this because he loves you and he loves your kids. Second, know that this was probably extremely difficult for him. Some things you may be able to process and work through together. Other things may require a little more help for both of you to move forward.
If you need help processing something major, we encourage you to reach out to your pastor or someone on your church staff first. They will be equipped to help or connect you with someone who can help you with counseling or other needs. If you don’t have a home church, we encourage you to reach out to someone you trust that can connect you with the right resources.
Know that we encourage men who are struggling with addictions, infidelity, trauma or abuse to seek professional help through licensed therapists and medical professionals in addition to seeking biblical/wise counsel. If you need help connecting to someone who can help your family, please reach out to strongerfathers@dadcamp.org.
We have several resources available on our DADCAMP app that can help you too - check them out under our “Resources” tab.
FUN
Your husband and kid did a lot of fun activities this weekend! They played games, spent a lot of time outdoors, and may have even tried something new! Each of our locations has activities that are unique to the camp we’re at, so some kids may have tried a ropes course or swam in the lake! Others may have ridden bikes or tried archery or paintball!
Ask your kid(s) to share their favorite activity they did during free time with their DAD.
Ask your kid(s) to share something NEW they learned or tried this weekend.
Your kid(s) and husband may have visited our DADCAMP store this weekend. Ask them to show you what they got! Bummed out that they didn’t bring anything home for you? We’ve got an online store! Check it out HERE or on our DADCAMP app.
Want to download our DADCAMP app? Just head to your app store and search “DADCAMP”! You do not need to create an account - just download and start browsing.
Ask your kid(s) to share their favorite activity they did during free time with their DAD.
Ask your kid(s) to share something NEW they learned or tried this weekend.
Your kid(s) and husband may have visited our DADCAMP store this weekend. Ask them to show you what they got! Bummed out that they didn’t bring anything home for you? We’ve got an online store! Check it out HERE or on our DADCAMP app.
Want to download our DADCAMP app? Just head to your app store and search “DADCAMP”! You do not need to create an account - just download and start browsing.
Volunteer
Want to come see what DADCAMP is all about for yourself? We’d love to have your family volunteer at one of our events! From helping with check-in when DADs and kids arrive and serving food, to launching canoes and building fires, volunteers help with it all and make our DADCAMP weekend events happen! Fill out a volunteer form on our website at DADCAMP.org/volunteer
MOM,
We want you to know that we value you! We see the work that you do daily to help you kids and your husbands lean in and become who God created them to be. We count you as a part of the DADCAMP family just as much as your husband and kids!
YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!
YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!