--- title: Are You Putting Your Kid in a Box? description: The new family film by Disney, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, will inspire parents to cherish their children -- and be careful what we wish for! image: https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/file-17566615-png/images/photo2051-resized-600.png --- [Skip to main content](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/bid/153724/Are-You-Putting-Your-Kid-in-a-Box#main) - [![NFI mark](https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI%20mark.svg)FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://www.fatherhood.org/) - [STORE.FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://store.fatherhood.org/) [![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=149&height=82&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=65&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=66&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=89&height=49&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ](https://www.fatherhood.org) - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Show submenu for Get Informed Get Informed - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - [Father Stats & Infographics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) - Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Find Your Stage of Father Inclusion](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-inclusion) - [How Father Friendly Is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Fatherhood Data & Statistics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - [How Father Friendly is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Other Free Resources](https://www.fatherhood.org/nfi-free-resources) - [Talk With us to Get Started](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) National Fatherhood Initiative Blog / [Latest Articles](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood) [Disney](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/topic/disney) # Are You Putting Your Kid in a Box? 1 min read ![Melissa Byers](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/melissa_circle_icon.png?width=100&height=100&name=melissa_circle_icon.png) [** Melissa Byers ** ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/author/melissa-byers) Melissa is the Chief Marketing Officer at National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI). Melissa oversees the organization's marketing, communications, graphic design, and product fulfillment functions. Writing today in **[The Huffington Post](http://bit.ly/rwhuffpost)**, NFI President Roland Warren considers what happens when parents dream the wrong dreams for their children--and what parents should be dreaming for their kids.  ![Odd Life](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/file-17566615-png/images/photo2051-resized-600.png)From "score the winning goal" to "rocking," the Green's get what they wish for; except their dreams may not be reality! As Roland points out, "The film reminds us that while the pull for us parents may be irresistible, we have to refrain from defining our children before we know who they are. Dreaming up the next football star or great novelist may be entertaining, but there are more important things in which we should place our hopes and dreams." Roland continues, "This is especially true for dads. Dads, and men in general, tend to focus on what others do rather than who they are. Rather than focusing on what we want our children to be, we should be focused on how we want them to 'be.'" Disney delivers an inspirational message in the way only Disney can. Cindy and Jim ultimately discover that "a child will always be better and more interesting than anything you can dream up," as Roland reminds us. Roland encourages parents in his article, "Don't put your child in a box. Don't dream up skills and things that are seen and can therefore be contained. Instead, dream and model the unseen, like character, values and respect." This is a great reminder for any parent, but especially busy dads. We need the reminder to focus, as Roland writes, on "...cherishing our children, no matter what." Thank you, Disney, for that reminder!  The new family film from Disney arrives in theaters today. Read the full **[Huffington Post](http://bit.ly/rwhuffpost)** article by Roland and learn more about ***[The Odd Life of Timothy Green](http://bit.ly/OddLife-TG)***. [![Sign Up Now for Free Dad Tips!](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/135704/bd7069ed-8b86-4113-a335-dc50011b2506.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/135704/bd7069ed-8b86-4113-a335-dc50011b2506) Date Published: 08/15/2012 Last Updated: 06/11/2018 ## Learn How to Build a Fatherhood Program That Works Download this free guide for a proven 7-step roadmap—from making the case and securing funding for your program, to launching and measuring real results! 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