Kid Asks Dad For An Xbox But The Father Turned It Into A Valuable Life Lesson

Every good parent hopes that their child will grow up knowing all of the most important life skills and values. Let's face it, without them a young adult can struggle to overcome even the simplest challenges in life. While some parents except that kids will learn from their example or figure things out themselves, there are those who make sure to teach them. Take for instance this dad from Florida, Mark Arrington, who went viral for teaching his boh, the importance of working hard to get the things you want, and being handy.

Arrington, who told Bored Panda that he served in the military for 9 years before he medically retired, has a large family. The man is a father of 9 children, even though some of them are from his wife's previous marriage. "I have three biological kids (one of them I consider mine from a previous marriage because I was there when she was a toddler). My wife came with 5 kids...lol so I have 9 kids; ages 18, 17, 16, 14. 13, 11, 9, 6, and 2. Five girls and four boys," he explained. With so many kids to take care of, it's easy to get overwhelmed, however, Arrington does his best at making sure that all of them are nurtured.

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"There are no instructions on how to be a great parent, so you got to just wing it. To love unconditionally. We are not perfect and make mistakes. The key is to try your best and learn from your mistakes and do your best in every moment. I make sure to be there for my kids in every way possible and make sure that they have all the essentials to be successful in life," he says.

One of the ways he makes sure his kids are ready to be self-sufficient and successful adults is to teach them a variety of useful skills. The father never misses an opportunity to do so. When his 11-year-old Markell asked for a new Xbox after his old one broke down, his dad knew exactly what to do before buying him the console. The man asked his son to help to put down the flooring on one of his rental properties and after a long day of work, the boy got what he asked for.

"I am working to teach him, hard work, dedication, to finish what you start, commitment, if you learn how to do things for yourself, you don't have to depend on others, hard work pays off," Arrington said.

"If you want something you can work to get it, love unconditionally, respect, honesty, preparation to be a great Leader/Husband for his future Family, be a Blessing to others, put God first and everything else will line up accordingly, own up to your mistakes and learn from them."