On Being A Purposeful Role Model

I love this picture! It somehow came into my life earlier this week and immediately made me smile. And then it made me think. What is it about me that my grandchildren would want to be “just like?” I hope there’s something that they’ve seen or heard from me that’s of value in the way their lives take shape.

Being a grandpa seems like a pretty important responsibility. It’s fun and games for sure. It’s also so much more. We’re always on duty as role models for our grandchildren. The simple picture that made me smile now has me feeling a little uncomfortable. How intentional am I when I’m with my grandchildren? What kind of role model have I been?

Time to be intentional

Being an intentional role model is going to take some thought. If there were a handful of values, beliefs, actions, and behaviors that I’d want my grandchildren to see and learn from me, what would they be?

Maybe there’s a ready answer that I can just bake into my life. A Google search turned up quite a list of options but no absolute instruction. It feels like this is a personal decision that each grandpa will make (or not make) for ourselves.

So that’s my thought for the day. Being an intentional grandpa who is a role model for his grandchildren is important, purposeful, and personal. I’m on it. When I figure it out I’ll be sure to let you know what I’ve come up with. In the meantime, here are some suggestions. For this grandpa, it seems like a good place to start.

What are your intentions as a role model for your grandchildren?