He Parents With Purpose and Practice

Drop by Clinton Blettner’s house in the evening and you’ll find six-year-old Addilyn and her brother Landon, 5, devouring the spaghetti or casserole their dad made. After dinner you’ll see a father reading books to—or watching a movie with—two children.

“Addilyn is the TV show one, and Landon is the runner,” Clinton said, noting that running is a useful skill for an aspiring superhero. “Landon and I run around holding superhero figurines and pretending like we’re fighting the bad guys—that’s a typical game in our house,” he said.

Clinton became a single dad four years ago, landing him in a world he didn’t comprehend. “I was not raised to understand how to raise kids, so when I got thrown into (that) situation being a single dad... it was a very growing, stretching experience for me,” explained. “(When) it’s only you, you actually get outnumbered by the kids,” he said wryly.

“I think the challenge was really trying to handle some of the crazy (child) emotions that
happen and some of the crazy situations that occur at the same time,” he said, noting his parenting philosophy grew over time and became a guiding set of principles that helps him thrive as a dad today. “I want my kids to understand how their actions affect others and themselves. I really dig down on teaching them personal responsibilities. I finally got to a place where I actually enjoyed parenting and found blessings in it,” he said. “I
think I’m a good dad most days.

Asked what advice he might offer other dads, Clinton Blettner said this: Be intentional with your children. The days are long, but the years are short. Even if, because we’re all busy, you only spend 15 minutes of quality time with your kids at night, that’s better than nothing.”