Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a father who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a man and a father. Above all, the Dad of the Month is dedicated to his children. Rich or poor, famous or not, he shines as an example of what fathering is all about.

Our choice for January is Loren Schwinghammer, community activist and father of two daughters.

Loren Schwinghammer from Cologne, Minn. knows a thing or two about sacrifice and hard work. Growing up one of 19 children (15 boys and 4 girls) will do that to you. "I thought leftovers was a fruit until the third grade -- because it was not used in our house -- there never were any," he says. Loren also grew up learning strong family values -- values he's passing on to his two daughters: Lauren, 9, and Madeleine, 7.

As a stay-at-home dad for two years, Loren is not only involved in his daughter's lives, but also in the community. "Because of his stay-at-home status the past couple of years, Loren has been able to reconnect with the community in ways I don't think we ever realized would come as a result of our decision [for him to stay home]," says Loren's wife, Kari. Along with his daughters, Loren has worked on several community projects, including one that helped refugees learn to grow vegetables suitable for the Minnesota climate. "He worked on a garden project that provided our girls with an incredible cultural experience and allowed him to use his working knowledge of farm operations," says Kari.

Loren's recent product, Rebicycles and More, has earned him much praise from the community and his family. Working with Carver County Environmental Services in Chaska, Minn., Loren collects olds bikes, refurbishes them, and gives or sells them for $5.00 to people who need them. "Lauren and Madeleine are Loren's 'partners' and accompany him to the collection sites and the recycle center weekly," says Kirsten Cruikshank, Loren's sister-in-law. "Loren and the girls believe that everyone deserves to have a bicycle to enjoy the Minnesota summer, and they work hard to make sure everyone has at least one!"

Lauren and Madeleine inspired their dad to start Rebicycles and More. "We were dropping off items at the recycle center and [they] saw a bicycle in need of repair -- they wanted it for [their] Mom," he says. Loren protested, but the girls said to him, "Dad, you can fix things with motors, you can fix this bike." Loren agreed, but asked for two hugs in return. "It was worth more than money," he says.

Deciding to Be a Stay-At-Home Dad
Many factors went into the decision of Loren staying at home with the children while Kari returned to her job as Chief Deputy County Attorney in Carver County, Minn. Kari says the most important one for her was giving Loren something she thought he needed: a break. "He started working at a very early age on the farm and it just continued," she says. Loren had worked 12-hour days, sometimes seven days a week, in construction before being a SAHD. "I knew how much he loved our children and wanted to be able to spend more time with them," she says. "I also knew he wasn't above doing whatever it was going to take -- including letting go of the cleaning lady and cleaning the toilets himself."

The girls loved having their daddy home. "One day I asked Lauren if she thought it would be nice for Mom to come home again," says Kari, who was feeling the need to connect. "Her response? 'You know Mom, I think Dad kinda' has it down now.' In other words, things were going pretty good."

Kari says the girls' sense of humor, among other things, developed from being able to spend time with their dad. "They truly experienced something not many little girls are able to," she says. Together, they mastered everything from bicycle recycling to horseback riding and cooking. They enjoyed playing games together, such as hide-and-seek and kick-the-can, and spoiling Kari when she came home from work with flowers, cards, "She's Home!" greetings and fun lunches.

When both girls started school, Loren decided to go back to work, and Kari has cut back on hours to have more time with the girls. "I am working enough to keep health coverage for the family, but am still very much involved," says Loren. "It was very hard not seeing them every day, all day, because they were in school."

Just Go With It
Kari says Loren's best quality is that he is able to "just go with it." "Today, I have yet to meet another person who can take a very bad kid's day and calmly tell themselves 'just go with it,' not walk away, not blow up, not ask for help, simply deal with it and have the child end up calmly in their lap," she says. "Loren can do that."

Loren says to instill good values in your children to remember these five things: listen, explain, example, apologize and reward for trying. Loren has all five down, and it shows in his daughters. "Not only does he have a great family and strong values, he also has a great sense of humor and a smile to go with it!" says sister-in-law Kirsten. "He can do just about anything."

"As Loren's wife, I can say that I am very appreciative of the way we are able to work with each other to pursue individual as well as family goals," says Kari. "I wish more families were as fortunate as we have been. Loren is a wonderful father, adored by his daughters, and an incredible husband."

To Loren, it's very simple: "I enjoy helping and want to instill that in my children -- nothing more, nothing less."