When dads are predictable and reliable in positive ways, children are much more like.ly to grow up confident and secure.
“Why is my father always angry?”
Angry fathering really does affect our children. Here’s a wake-up call and some steps to help us be calm dads.
Meeting Your Children’s Basic but Important Needs
With all the uncertainty in today’s world, we must not underestimate what a difference it makes when kids feel safe, loved, valued, and heard.
Effective Fathering for a New Generation
Dr. Ken looks at his research-based 7 Secrets of Effective Fathers and how they have changed through the years.
Dads and Fast-Food Modeling
A research study reveals an interesting way dads influence their kids — and maybe an area where we need to step up as fathers.
Boys Need Men to Teach Them About Life
by Rick Johnson: When boys are brought up to feel competent and capable, they have a much better chance of succeeding at life.
Dad, Are You Behaving in the Bleachers?
There’s a lot more at stake than a win or loss. You have nothing to prove except that you love and support your child.
Education: Finding Healthy Balance
Whatever your natural tendencies might be in this area, how can you move toward more healthy involvement in your child’s education?
View Each Day as an Opportunity
How to Be a Better Dad by Matt Haviland: I push myself to be a better dad by taking it one day at a time and learning as I go.
3 Ways to Transmit Values to Your Children
We’re creating a storehouse of images and memories in our kids’ minds that could live on and shape important decisions they face as adults.
“You’re the worst dad ever!” How do you respond?
Kids say and do some pretty crazy things, and it’s good for dads to respond to teach and correct them. But there also needs to be balance.
6 Positive Dad-Responses to Crises & Difficulties
How we respond to difficulties or crisis situations will create a reference point that our children will remember and carry forward into the future.
Categories
Welcome to the fathers.com fathering library.
On the left you will see how our blogs and articles are categorized. Choose your stage in the fathering journey under Your Kids, click on a specific situation that applies to you, or browse through the items in our hot topics and fathering fundamentals. Also, check out Tools for the Journey – short downloadable pieces with tips for specific challenges.
Don’t Miss the Good Stuff
Has springtime arrived for you yet, dad? During the past few weeks, we turned our clocks back for Daylight Savings (at least most of us did), we’re enjoying tournament basketball and all its madness, and this week came the first day of spring. Maybe that isn’t a big...
“I Want to Know About Fatherhood”
A few years back, we received an e-mail from a man who isn’t a father and doesn’t want children, but his wife does. Here’s what he wrote: I want to know more about fatherhood. Most of what I read says that I’ll learn to love poopy diapers, sleepless nights, constant...
Daughters, Legacy and Thinking Backward
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Most of you dads have played sports at some point in your life—and if not, maybe you competed in debate, music, science, or some other pursuit. And I’m sure you know that every single time you step onto the field or court, you...
Spiritual Equipping: Raising Kids to Be Discerning
Mike served eleven years in prison. He comes from a family of ten children, and at one time, six of his family members were locked away. Collectively, they have given America’s prisons nearly 100 years of their lives. Mike has learned a lot because of his hardships,...
How to Actively Listen to Your Child
We live in a world of distractions. And dad, your child is not one of them. There have never been this many different things competing for our attention. As they add more apps and capabilities to our smart phones and more streaming services with more interesting...
Kids Need a Dad Who Loves (or Respects) Their Mom
As dads, we need each other. One of the best ways to grow as a father is to meet regularly with other like-minded guys. We see that other dads share some of the same experiences, and we’re more likely to open up about our own issues. As dads, we’re not alone, and we...
3 Questions for Dads on Providing for Your Family
What does it mean to provide for our children in today’s world? ... especially as roles and expectations have changed pretty drastically in the past few generations. Yes, providing is still an important aspect of being a dad. And along with Protecting our children,...
Protecting Our Kids: Body, Mind and Heart
Fatherhood has changed a lot in the last few generations. In some ways that’s good, and we could surely find some changes that are not so positive. But if we went back 50 years and asked an average person about what a father’s role is, there’s a good chance the answer...
Kids Need Consistent, Reliable Dads
What makes a good umpire in baseball? Is it flawless eyesight? Confidence? Decisiveness? Experience? Maybe the ability to deal with angry managers? Yes. Yes. And yes. But if you ask the players, most likely the quality at the top of their list would be something...
3 Ways to Better Know Your Children (and Avoid Some Surprises)
As dads, maybe the feelings we want to avoid the most are the disappointment, confusion, and remorse of being surprised by a major issue or challenge in a child’s life ... Someone your 9-year-old son has been chatting with online turns out to be a predator. Your...
Dad: Live Out an Unwavering Commitment
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. There’s one factor that’s far and away the most important indicator that a man will succeed with his children: his commitment to them. The most effective fathers have a driving passion and an unfailing motivation to do their best for their...
New Year, Better Dad
Dad: this isn’t about a resolution. (Unless you’re into that.) Whatever you want to call it, the beginning of a new year is a natural time to make a positive change or start a new habit. And you should at least consider some ways to grow as a father. Reflect on what...