It's an unspoken truth that being a father doesn't come naturally to a lot of men. It didn't to me, as the dad of three. You can be a better dad by taking an improv class and applying the lessons you learn to your relationship with your children.

Here's why:

1) Listening

As a new dad, I thought I knew more than my kids. Often I simply assumed since I was the subject matter expert on everything, what they had to offer was worthwhile. Sometimes I was too busy to pay attention. Other times, I was preoccupied.

The fundamental practice of improv is listening. Improv is primarily about paying attention to what your scene partners say. The relationship that forms spontaneously during an improv scene requires active, close listening.

Once I started listening to my children, I learned that they knew more than me about a lot of things including : themselves for sure, but also about the world and other people. So often, as a parent, you tune out what your child is actually saying. Improv helps break that habit.

Listening to what your children say is the most important thing you can do and it's hard.

2) Saying Yes

As a dad, saying No was my default answer to any of my children's questions.I believed it was for good reasons, that my responsibility as a dad was to hold boundaries and that meant saying no.

Then I took improv. Improv has entire games built around the single word: Yes. In improv, Yes is the default answer. Sometimes that Yes needs to be justified or built upon to make sense. Sometimes it's qualified. Sometimes, the actual answer is No. But Yes is always the default.

And that, I realized, is how it should be with my children. Yes is such a better default answer than No with children. It's a generous spirit to have with my children, a wonderful gift. Even when holding boundaries, even when they won't get what they want, even when I will say No, when I start fromYes, our connection around the request benefits.

3) Having fun

As a dad, I would sometimes get caught up in the daily grind of work and home life. I didn't make much space for enjoying the comradeship of my family.

Improv at is best involves trust, fellowship, and a deep sense of fun. Through improv I learned how to laugh publicly, genuinely, and without shame or hesitation. Improv is fun.

And that sense of play, of fun, translated perfectly into parenting. Enjoying being the moment, connecting, and just having a good time is the best part of being a dad.

I've learned a lot about parenting from taking improv. I recommend all dads sign up for a class at their local theater. You'll be glad you did.