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 May is Robert Carradine, star of The Lizzie McGuire Movie and father of three.

You probably know him best as Lewis from popular 80s flick, Revenge of the Nerds. Your kids, however – who've certainly never even heard of that movie – know him as Sam McGuire, dad to TV teenager, Lizzie McGuire. Robert Carradine, 48 – who hails from a family of well-known actors including dad, John, and brothers, Keith and David – has once again hit the big screen in a movie that is likely to become a favorite for a different generation: The Lizzie McGuire Movie, which opened nationwide May 2.

The Lizzie Phenomenon
For Carradine, father of three, starring on the Lizzie McGuire TV series on the Disney Channel has been great fun. Not only because the show is a big hit, but because he truly enjoys working with the cast. "We may pretend we're a family," he says. "But after two years, we've become a family. I look forward to going to work every day."

And because of the show's success, Disney decided to take it to the next level by turning it into a movie. The Lizzie McGuire Movie tells the story of Lizzie's class trip to Rome where she's mistaken for an Italian pop star and begins living the star's life, including falling in love with her boyfriend. "It continues the theme of the TV series, which is Lizzie McGuire comes of age," says Carradine.

Why is the series so popular? "I think because the creators and writers have found the voice of kids this age," Carradine says. "It has the ring of truth to it. It strikes a cord with everybody who sees it."

Living With Lizzie
And he would know – daughter, Marica, 12 and in seventh grade, is daily experiencing the same things as Lizzie. "I go from Lizzie McGuire make believe to Lizzie McGuire for real," says Carradine. "I'm living the part."

For example, there's an episode where Lizzie frets over what to wear for picture day. "We just went through that with my daughter," says Carradine. "She completely freaked out about picture day."

Carradine also likes the fact that Lizzie McGuire is a show that he can watch with Marica and his son, Ian, 10. (His older daughter, Ever, from a previous marriage is 28 and an actress herself.) "Because it's a children's TV show, my kids can watch," he says. "I'm living with the target audience. They love the show."

From TV Dad to Real Dad
Working on the Lizzie McGuire show allows Carradine lots of time to be home with his wife and two younger children, which he feels is important. He usually only works two or three days a week, which enables him to help his wife, a full-time mom."[Raising a family] is definitely a two-person job," he says.

For Carradine, one of the most important skills in raising children is listening to them. "I listen to what my kids have to tell me," he says. "When they ask me something, I tell them right away. I stop and focus immediately on what they are asking me." Because of this, he believes that has kept them from feeling they need to compete for his attention and "they're not constantly pulling on my coattails," he says.

Carradine is also a strong believer in the value of exposing children to music. He has played the guitar since he was a child and has occasionally performed in concert with his brothers, Keith and David, and even with Peter from Peter, Paul and Mary.

His love of music has certainly rubbed off, as both Marica and Ian are also musicians. Ian plays the piano and guitar, and Marica plays the flute, the harp and the Swiss accordion all proficiently and another 10 instruments on some level. In fact, she told her mom at 5 that she wanted to play all the instruments in the world.

"I think it helps them on a soulful level, as well as a practical level in the math portion of the brain," says Carradine. "Both of my kids are really strong in math."

Would he encourage his kids to pursue acting as a career? He's already experienced this with his daughter, Ever. "We actually tried to discourage her because it's such an uncertain process, but she has a passion for it," he says. "I just echoed what my father told me: Try to find anything to do besides this." But not matter how he tries, it just seems to be a family profession, he says.

Beyond Revenge of the Nerds
When Carradine is not playing Dad on TV or in real life, he enjoys a number of hobbies. Besides playing the guitar, he is a competitive racecar driver, which he describes as his No. 1 passion since he was a child.

Carradine competes in long-distance/road-racing courses and has driven for teams including Chevy, Lotus, Dodge and Porsche. "It's something I'm good at," he says, and he's proven that by winning several championships over his 25-year career.

Carradine also enjoys making movies, and he says Westerns are one of his favorites. "It's a simpler time," he says. "It's a great era," which he describes as opposite from the current time. He recently finished filming Monte Walsh, a Western starring Tom Selleck and brother, Keith, which aired on TNT in February.

Some of his favorites include: The Long Riders, a Western shot with brothers, Keith and David; The Big Red One, a war movie by Sam Fuller; and, of course, Revenge of the Nerds. "It just doesn't get much more fun than that," he says. Of the first two he says: "There's a certain feeling on certain movies where everybody gets along." And he believes that camaraderie shines through in the final product.

As for his next project, he's not sure, but he says talks are underway for a second Lizzie movie.

Want to see more?

• Meet Harold Ramis!
• Meet Scrubs star and dad John McGinley!
• Craig Shoemaker: Conquering Fatherhood With Laughter
• Teenagers Today
• Read about past Dads of the Month here!
• Read about past Moms of the Month here!