Many of you know the topic of fathers is one I hold very close to my own heart. I love writing to fathers and hearing from them as they grow throughout their parenthood journey. Now to be clear, my dedication to championing fatherhood does not discredit the amazing role of moms out there – you do so much for your children, and they wouldn’t be the same without you. But there are distinct differences between how kids see, engage with and view their relationships with mom and dad.

I wanted to share a few excerpts from my new book, Hero: Being The Strong Father Your Children Need, which released May 15 last year, on the subject of moms and dads, how they are uniquely different, and how they are better together.

Kids See Mom and Dad Differently

Children respect their mothers, but they typically see Dad as the authority figure – and dads, that’s a heavy responsibility. Children will confide in their mothers, but they speak more carefully to their fathers, and the tone is usually more reserved.

There are many reasons for this – and some of them are purely physical: To a child, Dad is often big and imposing…