5 THINGS EVERY BEARDED FATHER SHOULD TEACH HIS SON

Becoming a father is by far the finest gift that life has to offer. Taking responsibility for another little person, a part of your being, a 'mini version of you' is like nothing else on this planet. I'm blessed to have three wonderful, yet rather cheeky children with my beautiful wife. Sometimes I still pinch myself on how lucky I am to have the things in life that I do.

When I first became a father I was a little shell shocked to say the least, I had to grow up, and fast, up until this point in my life I lived pretty care free and was what some might say a bit of a 'risk taker'. The only person I had to answer to was myself, In all honesty I lived a rather reckless lifestyle with little to no thought about the future in front of me.

Then, in what seemed like a flash, I met my boy, my first born, my son, Joshua. Many friends and family members told me how much we looked alike from the very beginning. I can only assume they were hinting at the fact I resembled a bald cry baby, which was not a very nice compliment after all. As my son began to grow, so did my outlook on life, as I began to think ahead. I thought about my future, my sons future, my girlfriend and wanted to do right by them. So, I began to change, and thankfully for the better.

I became the man of which I now needed to be, if not for myself, then for my new family. I wanted to set the bar high, and meet any goals I set for myself. Being the very best role model I could be to my boy. Now my eldest is 13 years old, and I would like to think I raised him to the best of my ability, giving him all the tools he could need to become a respectable young man.

Today, feeling all humble I decided to take a look into what a father does for his son, as we discuss 5 Things Every Bearded Father Should Teach His Son...

HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN IS ESSENTIAL!

Teaching your son how to be a gentleman is something many fathers do each and every day without realising they are actually doing so. A welcoming smile and a firm handshake, greeting people in a positive manner, opening a door for a woman and being polite on your approach are all key factors on how a boy becomes a gentleman.

'Please' and 'thank you' are simple words that can be easily forgotten in today's society, but I was always raised to greet people how you would like to be greeted. Be respectful to everyone, but don't be a pushover either. For example, if you're in a disagreement with someone and they lower their tone and be disrespectful, you are well within your right to stand your ground. Just remember, never be the aggressor, but always be the gentleman.

WORK HARD FOR THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE!

If you want the nice home, fast cars and fancy poodle dog (ok, maybe not a poodle!) you'll have to continue working hard in your life to achieve them. Of course, life is not all about the material things, but it's always great to follow a hard working ethic in order to achieve your dreams.

My grandfather had it tough throughout his life, he was the youngest in a line of many Brothers and Sisters, financially he was never well off, and he decided to leave his home country of Ireland due to conflict when he first married my Nan and start from scratch here in England, UK with as little as £45 in his pocket, which wasn't all that much, even in the 60's, with no guarantee of a job.

He continued to work hard throughout his life, and earned everything he had in his life. As a child he drilled the wrongs and rights into my brain from a very young age in order for me to grasp the importance of working hard at anything set before you in life. Something I have and will continue to do with my own children as well.

TO ALWAYS RESPECT YOUR ELDERS!

Being gracious to everyone is something we learn our children, and respecting your elders is just as important. After all, these folks have real life experiences that we could learn a thing or two from if we should choose to just listen. Addressing your elders properly, with a handshake, a smile and eye contact shows a high grade of good manners, and teaching your children to follow suit can only be beneficial to them. Always teach the younger generation to 'respect your elders' is something that should never be lost from one generation to another.

HOW YOU SHOULD ALWAYS RESPECT WOMEN!

Displaying a high level of respect towards women is a great trait for anybody to learn. After all we wouldn't be very far without the love and guidance of women. Model yourself into a respectable man and your son or daughter will strive to follow your every step, showing high levels of respect being one of those. Help him to learn to communicate his feelings with his mother and sisters, as this will help solidify your sons already well developed bond between his family members.

EVERY FATHER SHOULD TEACH THEIR SON HOW (NOT) TO SHAVE!

Of course, the old myth of a father teaching his son to shave for the very first time should one day be a thing of the past, as more and more men continue to ditch their razors in favour of growing out their face fuzz into a manly long viking-like beard.

I can recall my Grandad learning me how to shave, thankfully this is no longer a skill I need to don, as the bearded life is clearly for me, as without my face fuzz I look like a full moon. Not pretty at all I'm sure you'd agree. Having a beard should happen to every male at least once in their life, even if it is just to try it out and make your own decision on what to do next. I feel there is a stigma around shaving being cleaner than having facial hair, hence the wording 'clean shave'. Instead encourage beards to grow wild and free, with a little beard product along the way!

It's a nasty stigma that needs to wash away and fast. Wouldn't you agree? Let us have your thoughts and feedback in the comments section you'll find below.