I am pleased that a sharp, focused vision for 2021 and beyond has emerged amid this sea of change. And you can be assured that we are focusing on new opportunities and ways to broadcast our timeless message: dads matter.
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.
Cultivating a Spiritual Connection With Your Kids
One of the most common questions we hear from dads is: “How can I connect with my children spiritually?” Here are four ideas to help you move in that direction.
3 Ways Dads Have Grown: More Pandemic Survey Results
“As a result of the pandemic, how have you grown in your fathering role?” These past months have shone a light on our relationships with our kids—revealing the good and bringing us face-to-face with some areas where we need to grow.
Engaging Illinois Fathers – and Dads of Special-Needs Kids
Longtime NCF friend and fathering advocate David Hirsch describes his inspiring work to combat father absence and encourage dads in challenging situations.
Survey Results: Dads & Pandemic Challenges
“What barriers or obstacles have you faced in your fathering as a result of the pandemic?” No less than 11 common themes surfaced that are worth mentioning—which reflects the wide variety of situations and challenges experienced by today’s dads.
Stretch to Connect with Your Child
It’s almost a guarantee that we’ll have to stretch a bit—or maybe even take some risks—to connect with our kids and become better dads.
What Consistency Looks Like in a Dad: 5 Keys
As a father, your children need you to be a dependable, predictable reference point in their lives. Children should know what to expect from you.
Nurturing Becomes the Man
We can and must become nurturing dads through giving affection, affirmation, and attention to our children. We do this with our arms, words, eyes and ears.
Must-See Video: Josh’s Kindness
High school was difficult for Josh. He was teased and harassed quite a bit. Then one day he had a simple but profound idea …. Watch the video for more.
Making Involvement a Priority
Our children place great value on our time and our presence. Numerous studies confirm the benefits they see when we invest in their lives.
Dad, Turn Your HEART Toward Your Daughter
by Michelle Watson Canfield – A girl needs head connections with her dad in order to navigate life, but heart connections with him are vital to her ability to thrive in life.
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.
Daughters and the Power of Listening
When dads and daughters get together and focus on each other, good things happen. We saw it over and over years ago when we hosted father-daughter events all over the country, and it’s a big reason why we’re starting them up again. We heard incredible stories of...
Fatherhood and the Waiting Game
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. If you’re a dad, you know that waiting is part of the gig. {And please note: this is a somewhat lighthearted look at fatherhood, but I don't want to minimize the very real and difficult waiting that many couples do when they're trying to...
Mars, Venus, and the ABCs of Fathering Daughters
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase before. Maybe you’ve even read the book by John Gray, though it first came out more than thirty years ago. I find his book title to be fitting in...
The Power of Knowing Your Child’s Needs
How well do you know your child's developmental milestones and progress? A study at the University of Rochester discovered that about one-third (31.2%) of parents of 9-month-olds are "clueless" about child development milestones, such as when babies talk, learn right...
Dad: Communicate High Value to Your Kids
Rick and his family were out at the lake, staying in a cabin for a week, getting some well-deserved vacation time. One morning they were getting ready to go fishing, and Rick was walking along the dock toward the boat with his arms full of gear. He stumbled on a loose...
Dad, Help Prepare Your Kids for the School Year—Here’s How
Getting ready to go back to school impacts the entire family... For kids, a new school year means new teachers, new classrooms, and possibly new responsibilities. Sometimes it means new friends. The first days at a new school—or first days in middle school or high...
A Public Commitment to Fatherhood
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Some years back, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal set out to write a story that she believed would really impact her readers. She wanted to interview a CEO of a publicly traded company who was committed to his family and actively involved...
Summer and Free Time
Ahh, the sounds of summer. No, this isn't about the crack of the bat, or fireworks, or even the sizzle of the barbecue. This is about the droning whines of your offspring. Maybe this summer you've heard statements like: “Dad, There’s nothing to do around...
Military Dads & the Price of Freedom
A few years ago, one of our staff had the chance to talk to an active military dad during an airport layover. Jim, an officer in the Air Force, had been away from his wife and kids for four months, and he had missed Christmas with them for the second time. It was...
4 Things I Learned as a Single Father
by Matt Haviland I was a single father for almost a decade. They were challenging years, but looking back I realize that some of my hardest moments taught me the greatest lessons. That doesn’t mean everything got easier as time went on, or that I achieved some level...
9 Ways to Leap Beyond Father’s Day to Dad Awesome Day
by Jeff Zaugg I’ll never forget the joy that swelled up inside my 9-year-old heart as I watched my dad leap into a swimming pool from a raised perch in front of hundreds of cheering cruise ship passengers. It was the biggest event of the four-day cruise: the Belly...
What to Do When You Dread Father’s Day
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Father’s Day is an occasion to celebrate, no doubt about it. It might even be a day for dads to recommit themselves to loving and investing in their children in meaningful ways. That’s what all of us are about at fathers.com. But...