Dad, taking your daughter on dates is one of the most important things you can do for her. These dates can shape the way that she will expect to be treated on dates when she is older. What example are you setting? Here are NCF's 10 Ways to "Date Your Daughter". Make...
One child’s comments about his dad provide a sobering reminder about the role we play in the lives of our children.
by Eric Snow As an involved father, you are one of your child’s first teachers, and you’re on the job as soon as the baby is born. You coo and cuddle him and shake objects in front of him to help him learn to focus and respond. You help in teaching him to take a...
by Dat To Joint child custody can be a real challenge for many fathers. Putting together a schedule that pleases both parties and the children involved can be hard enough. And it can be exhausting trying to deal with the stress of shuffling children from house to...
by Steve Huff Last summer I was selected as the 2014 Kansas City Father of the Year. What a humbling and surprising experience! Braxton, my 15 year old son, had written an essay for his English class titled “What my Father Means to Me,” which was chosen as the ninth...
“To a girl, a father is her first love. To a boy, a father is his first hero.” How can you do your best in each role?
What does it mean to be a real man? That’s the question Tim Truesdale asked his eight-year-old son a few months ago. The boy paused, thought for a few moments, and then said, “I don’t know, Dad.” Tim says his heart sank when he heard that because he knew that teaching...
What do you believe is most important about life, and about being a man? Kids need to hear from their fathers and father figures about that.
Dads can be major forces in helping their children choose to do what’s right...
In February 2011, the Pew Research Center released results of a survey: "Attitudes about the Changing American Family." The survey lists seven trends, including "more unmarried couples raising children," "more mothers of young children working outside the home," and "more single women having children without a male partner to help raise them." For each of the trends, they asked people to indicate whether it's good for society, bad for society, or doesn't make much difference. You can respond to the questions — and see how your score compares to a national sample of 2,691 adults — here.
Recently, some political commentators have called for a return to more civil discourse. And it's a valid concern; there's a need for civility in many areas of our culture — more courtesy and respect in our actions and our speech.
Being thankful can change our perspective on what we have and don’t have, and how we should respond to those around us.
For most men, being a new father ignites some new feelings that don't really come from any other experiences in life. Maybe you're a new dad who is in the middle of this, maybe these thoughts will bring back some fond memories, or maybe you're preparing to be a...
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Dad, there’s something important you need to know about your daughter. Here it is, short and to the point: When a girl or woman knows and feels she is loved by her dad, she will have: greater confidence stronger inner fortitude...
As a father, it's good if you actively observe April Fool's Day—not by playing cruel tricks on your children, but by celebrating those relationships with lots of laughter. Victor Borge said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." You already...
Holy Week is a great time to remind and challenge you about one of the most profound ways you can influence your children—in faith and spiritual matters. There’s a wide range of approaches to faith, just like there are many different traditions for the Easter holiday....
Psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers recalls the spirited discussions around the family dinner table she had when she was growing up. Their family discussed politics, world events and other goings-on of the day. One day, the topic was President Roosevelt’s attempt to...
What are some needed strategies for us dads to how to navigate life with our daughter when she starts her monthly cycle? You have to admit it’s foreign territory for a dad. In a nutshell, I recommended that you not make a big deal out of it, but continue to show your...
A dad named Allan wrote to me, not asking should I teach my daughter about sex, but how should I? You see, he’s a single dad. And, he’s wondering, should I find a woman to talk to her? I commend Allan for recognizing the importance of this area of his daughter’s life....
I’m reminded of one father who instilled the value of hard work into his daughter. Harry regularly took his daughter Demi to work with him, where she learned the value of hard work, honesty, and generosity. When she grew older, she went to work for him every day, and...
In a world that is sexually spinning out of control, what can we do to protect and support our daughters in this caustic environment? Now, we know that girls are wired uniquely different than boys. Where boys may be lured in more by the visual temptation, it’s the...
teve had an important lunch appointment. He had traveled several hundred miles, and he was more than a little nervous. But this meeting wasn’t to cut some business deal. It was to start a new relationship. His luncheon partner was his daughter. Michelle had left home...
by Dr. Ken Canfield Some time ago, I spent a week in the mountains with my daughter Sarah on a father-daughter retreat. For me, it was a cleansing, refreshing time; for Sarah, it was a time of empowerment and blessing to be all God meant her to be. That week...
How would you train someone to spot a counterfeit bill? Well, you’d probably make them aware of the common methods of copying the original, and you’d point out telltale signs of fakery. But most of all, you’d want that person to be very, very familiar with the real...