Longboat Key dads provide paternal wisdom ahead of Father's Day

The simple question of "What makes a good dad in today's world?" resonated with local dads.

By Nat Kaemmerer
| 4:00 p.m. June 11, 2021

Longboat Key
Neighbors

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Coach, bank, reluctant homework tutor — dads take on plenty of roles when their kids are growing up. But the job doesn’t stop when the kids stop being kids. Longboat Key dads are working to get it right by taking pages out of their own fathers’ books and passing the knowledge down. No matter the era, you know a good dad when you have one, and for Father’s Day this year, local dads share how they’ve tried to be the best dads they know how to be.

Isaac Azerad

"We are reminded of how unpredictable the world can be. Searching for a constant, good fathers impart on their sons and daughters the enduring generational values that remain the anchor of civil society; honesty, integrity, love and kindness. Those values describe my own father and hopefully my son can say the same about me."

Stephen Sniderman

"I hope my four sons will see me as I remember my own father. He emphasized the positive over the negative. He celebrated what was accomplished instead of bemoaning what didn't get done. His goal was to solve problems instead of assigning blame."

What to get the big guy

Dads are notoriously hard to shop for, so instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, take a gander at this list and find a gift for a dad in your life. You know he’ll probably refuse to get it himself unless the one he has is falling apart.

For the outdoorsy dad… Help him keep cool with a cooling towel that drops the temperature immediately when it gets wet and stays cool for hours. You can find this at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center’s pro shop (590 Bay Isles Road). If he wants to keep his drinks cold while out and about, get him a Yeti Rambler from Ultra-Yacht (522 Cedar St.).
For the sporty dad… Chances are, he could always use some more golf balls or tennis balls. For the former, stop at the Longboat Key Club’s pro shops (220 Sands Point Road) and for the latter, head to the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center’s shop or Publix.
For the hungry dad… Give him options with a cookbook from Driftwood Beach Home and Garden (6838 Gulf of Mexico Drive), like “The Taco Tuesday Cookbook,” which offers a year’s worth of Taco Tuesday recipes.
For the relaxed dad… Pick up his favorite drink from LBK Liquors (6854 Gulf of Mexico Drive). They have nearly every type of whiskey under the sun and plenty of beer, and various accoutrements to keep it cool.

Allan Goldfarb

To be a good dad you must convey a sense of patience with your children. You need to become involved in their activities at an early age, in order to help them learn from their mistakes … You need to project an image of honesty and integrity, in order for them to know how important their decisions are going to be during their lifetime … A dad has the responsibility to discipline his children when necessary, and to point out what they have done is incorrect, and the reason why they shouldn’t do it again … A good dad should also impress upon his children the importance of continuing on in their academic studies, which will lead them to their future careers as adults. A good dad will impress upon his children some very important statements, which will follow them throughout their lives; “your name follows you where ever you go, therefore, you should lead your lives in a fashion of being honest, respectful, sincere, and always do for others, what you would hope they would do for you too.”

Steve McGue

"I think in today's world, as in any time, a good dad gives his kids unconditional love and support regardless of sexual orientation, political beliefs, substance issues, et al. While making every effort to impart family values of fairness, charity, integrity and responsibility. Sometimes a dad may fail at this, but a good dad keeps trying."

Chris Sachs

"Father’s Day has taken on new meaning for me since one of our sons became a new father himself a little over a year ago. And with their visit this past week, we officially welcomed our fourth generation to Longboat Key … It’s incomprehensible how quickly time has flown by since our first family vacation to Longboat Key almost 50 years ago. Being a grandfather came more quickly than I imagined, and seeing one’s own child become a parent brings both joy and reflection. And while every generation faces their own challenges, parents in “today's world” must navigate unprecedented obstacles and landmines. Accordingly, I believe as the world gets more complicated, simple values such as unconditional love, kindness, encouragement and support become more important than ever, along with the realization that time is the most valuable of all commodities.