Rate me....

[Valcherion]

....as a dad.

God, I hope this doesn't come back and bite me in the ass.

Anyway, I've had some semi-serious concerns about my parenting skills lately, mostly stemming from the fact that even I'm getting frightened at how terribly fast my daughter is turning into a miniature version of me. That being said, she seems perfectly happy, so what the hell. But then again, most seven-year-olds are happy, anyway, so that leaves me more than just an inch in terms of room for doubt.

For those of you who know who I am and what I do, please do try to give some kind of honest answer before turning this into flamebait.

For those of you who don't, the basic facts are that I'm 21, a big anime fan, spend long periods of time away from home due to work [during which I usually leave her with my parents], and the two of us bond over anime, martial arts, online games, and whatever small amount of literary fiction she is interested in that I have read [fairy tales, Harry Potter, etc.].

Go!

Fucking shit, this is going to be terrible.

[Vena Sera IV]

If she's happy and enjoys what you do together then you're an awesome dad Don't stress about it so much, if she's happy then you're doing something right

[AngelKitten]

So you decide to ask strangers on the Internet for an opinion? Nah, it's not that bad. There are worse places you could've gone with the question.

She's happy and you guys have a strong relationship formed over cool hobbies. You have nothing to worry about.

[Azarthes]

Worst/Best dad ever you should kill self/be proud brohan/stupid shit

[Rilla]

Knowing you, and the fact(I hope) she hasn't killed anyone... yet.

Doing pretty good, Nyancat.

[Valcherion]

So you decide to ask strangers on the Internet for an opinion?

Mostly because it's interesting. There are all sorts of people here, ranging from complete dicks [such as myself, or even better, Aza] to the painfully nice [like Vena over there]. The range of opinions flares things up.

As well, being complete strangers is actually a bonus - you guys have no real preconceptions about me other than how I've been acting in the forum, and are therefore less likely to have any sorts of bias in an area of my life you have basically no knowledge of. =P

- - - Updated - - -

Knowing you, and the fact(I hope) she hasn't killed anyone... yet.

Doing pretty good, Nyancat.

Fuck you too bro <3

[mbl]

....as a dad.

God, I hope this doesn't come back and bite me in the ass.

Anyway, I've had some semi-serious concerns about my parenting skills lately, mostly stemming from the fact that even I'm getting frightened at how terribly fast my daughter is turning into a miniature version of me. That being said, she seems perfectly happy, so what the hell. But then again, most seven-year-olds are happy, anyway, so that leaves me more than just an inch in terms of room for doubt.

For those of you who know who I am and what I do, please do try to give some kind of honest answer before turning this into flamebait.

For those of you who don't, the basic facts are that I'm 21, a big anime fan, spend long periods of time away from home due to work [during which I usually leave her with my parents], and the two of us bond over anime, martial arts, online games, and whatever small amount of literary fiction she is interested in that I have read [fairy tales, Harry Potter, etc.].

Go!

Fucking shit, this is going to be terrible.

Way I see it, being raised by you there is two ways she could turn out. She'll either be Australia's most wanted serial killer or the greatest catch a weeaboo could have. Just gotta make sure to teach her how to properly vent her anger out of walls/mailboxes/small animals and she'll be fine.

[Vena Sera IV]

Mostly because it's interesting. There are all sorts of people here, ranging from complete dicks [such as myself, or even better, Aza] to the painfully nice [like Vena over there]. The range of opinions flares things up.

Woot! I'm painfully nice! Wait... Does that mean I cause pain? Confliction, I has it!

[SebasChan]

....as a dad.

God, I hope this doesn't come back and bite me in the ass.

Anyway, I've had some semi-serious concerns about my parenting skills lately, mostly stemming from the fact that even I'm getting frightened at how terribly fast my daughter is turning into a miniature version of me. That being said, she seems perfectly happy, so what the hell. But then again, most seven-year-olds are happy, anyway, so that leaves me more than just an inch in terms of room for doubt.

For those of you who know who I am and what I do, please do try to give some kind of honest answer before turning this into flamebait.

For those of you who don't, the basic facts are that I'm 21, a big anime fan, spend long periods of time away from home due to work [during which I usually leave her with my parents], and the two of us bond over anime, martial arts, online games, and whatever small amount of literary fiction she is interested in that I have read [fairy tales, Harry Potter, etc.].

Go!

Fucking shit, this is going to be terrible.

OK, considering the ages of most of us on here, none of us have a right to say anything.

What I do know is that you care enough about how you're doing as a dad to worry about how well you're doing. You already listed the things that you are proud of doing as well. The thing that you are concerned about, being away for so long, shouldn't worry you so much. My father was gone for a lot of my childhood due to his being in the military. It wasn't necessarily through deployment, either. He would simply be gone to work before I woke up, and get home after I was sent to bed. Unless your long periods of time exceed six months, I say it's not "that long" in comparison.

You make serious efforts toward bonding with her, and make sure she is always being cared for under very watchful eyes. You make sure she's reading, which is good for a child at any age, and you keep her physically active through martial arts. Considering that a lot of kids don't do anything remotely physical in an organized sense, I'd say you're doing a fantastic job so far. My dad also bonded with me over video games whenever he was home, and I hold those memories very dear to me. When his work finally settled down, he coached my youth soccer team for two seasons. He also tried to get to every game he could when he wasn't coaching me.

Worrying about your parenting skills is a healthy thing to do. You keep thinking about how you can make your kid have a better childhood, which is a good thing. You want what's best for her, and it's clear that you love her. That is probably the most important basis for being a good father.

[Jorick]

As long as she doesn't turn out to be a complete piece of shit, you win at parenting. Odds are damned good that, come puberty and teenage years, she'll abandon your shared interests in that natural phase of rebellion most kids go through. Even if that doesn't happen, big fucking deal, it's not like loving anime and such are bad things. You shouldn't be worried about what hobbies you're getting your daughter interested in, it should be the morals and values you're instilling in her that matter to you. Having to be away for long periods of time is unfortunate, but life sucks sometimes, just do your best not to be one of those distant parents who doesn't really give a damn about their kid.

So long as you teach her the basics of being a good person, congrats, you're at least a decent parent. I'd suggest also pushing intellectual pursuits and critical thinking once she's old enough to get any benefit from those, because raising a decent person with a functioning brain is the best you can hope for as a parent. Hobbies and interests are all secondary or tertiary concerns, just focus on the shit that really matters and it'll all turn out fine in the end.

As for a rating currently, I dunno. The fact that you actually care about bonding with your daughter is a good indication that you're not a shitty parent, so kudos for that. I'll give you a generic positive rating I guess, because fuck specific numbers and the like.