Dad, if your kids are still pretty young, we have some news for you: They grow up.

Some dads of teenagers and adult children would tell you that this is bad news, because a young-adult child is causing them a lot of worry and stress. Other dads would say kids growing up is good news since the financial costs and everyday parenting responsibilities taper off … eventually. Surely many fathers would say it’s a mix of both. After all, there are no guarantees when it comes to raising kids. But all dads would do well to keep this in mind:

You’re raising a future adult.

Admittedly, that kind of long-range perspective is pretty difficult when you have two kids in diapers, one of whom is keeping you up most of the night, and then an older child seems to be testing or defying you just about every day. Or maybe you have elementary-age kids and life is a matter of juggling sports practices, music or drama rehearsals, and countless other various events on the calendar, and it’s all you can do to keep them all safe, fed and somewhat content. Or maybe you have children in preschool, elementary and middle school, and life is simply insanity. Who can think about the future when there’s so much fathering to do now?

It’s understandable, but there’s another important question to ask related to all this: If you don’t think about and plan for your child’s future, who will?

Saving money for your child’s education and other future needs is a significant part of the picture, but this is much bigger than that. Will your child be prepared for life? Will all the challenges of “adulting” be overwhelming for him or her?

The cliché you hear from older dads is true: in what will seem like a few blinks of the eye, you’ll be moving your child into a dorm room or apartment and watching him or her take all kinds of significant life steps, mostly on their own.

And so, even today, that adult inside your child is someone to keep thinking about and nurturing. When he or she is a high school senior, you probably won’t quite be fully confident that he/she is ready to take on the world, but you can have a sense that you’ve done your best—or pretty close to it—and that’s much better than feeling like you’re launching them out there largely unprepared.

Much of this is up to the child. (Once again, there are no guarantees.) But there are ways to father with that future child in mind, and here are a few to consider:

Do some planning and dreaming.

Even if you’re in the middle of a busy lifestyle as a dad, find regular opportunities to reflect on where you are in your fathering journey and dream about the years ahead. Capture some thoughts about what you hope for your child in terms of character and growth—not only what career they will have or where they will live, but also what kind of people they will be and what kind of things they will pursue in life.

The point isn’t to put specific expectations on your child or set an unattainable standard, but it helps to have some well-thought-out goals to help guide your actions as a dad today. How do you want to influence your kids? How do you want them to remember you during their formative years? What are your top hopes for their lives? Having a plan that you periodically refer to and update through the years will help you do your best.

Find moments with each child.

With some goals or general thoughts about how you want to invest in each of your kids, the next part of the plan needs to be about how you carry it out. How will you create opportunities with each child to make those investments? It can definitely happen during the daily routines of life, and they will be shaped in positive ways when the whole family is interacting. But if you’re going to be intentional about this, then some regular one-on-one time together is a great idea.

It won’t be easy or convenient, especially if you already have a full family calendar that involves four or five kids. But make it happen. Find the time. Do the date nights, the weekly outings, the short walks or long drives. Maybe move some of your events around to fit into your child’s schedule. Remember: you’re investing in your child’s future. It might not seem urgent today, but it’s vitally important and worth your time and effort.

Teach them stuff.

From the thinking and planning you’ve done, some specifics will emerge. Maybe you’ll decide you want to help your child learn to be generous, a hard worker, thoughtful or resilient. There are ways to help them grow in those areas. You can put them in situations and create experiences that are likely to help them develop some of these specific traits. And remember that your modeling will be a powerful part of the teaching process. Do you want them to be strong in conflict resolution? Show them how that’s done as you relate to them.

Also, think about teaching practical skills. As an adult yourself, there are certain things you do as part of life: mowing the lawn, changing the oil in the car or taking it to get serviced, balancing a budget, home repairs, cooking, doing laundry, and on and on. Often, you can teach by simply including them when you’re doing some of these things yourself. You’ll also create more moments together to help build the kind of relationship you want with them—a strong bond that will continue for many years, no matter where their future may take them.

Dads of adult children: what advice or insights would you add? Share some wisdom with younger dads who probably need it on our Facebook page.