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.
5 Power Strategies a Dad Can Use to Lead His Daughter
by Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield As we all know, it can be a daunting task for dads and daughters to talk about the hard stuff, the deep stuff, the vulnerable stuff, and the complex stuff. And a lot of dads have told me they prefer to leave some of those heavier topics...
8 Steps to Better Listening for Dads
When a dad says he wants better communication with his kids, he shouldn’t just jump in and start talking. The first thing he needs to do—and do well—is listen.
All Dads Face Difficulties. Are You Ready?
As fathers, we can’t predict the future, but times of testing should motivate us to step up as leaders for our children and families, and be prepared as best we can.
If I Could Go Back and “Father” 30-Year-Old Me
I would challenge that young man to focus the majority of his fathering efforts on teaching his kids two things … and modeling one thing along the way.
Sign on for a Lifetime Commitment
Commitment is our calling card as fathers. It’s our resolve to always act on our child’s behalf, no matter what the hour, no matter what other pressures are competing for our time, no matter how little recognition we receive, and no matter how young or old, near or far away that child may be.
Clarify Your Vision (With Help from a Former Mob Boss)
Armin is now living every day with renewed passion for fathering and is making different decisions about what to do with his time, money, and energy now that he’s clarified his fathering vision.
COVID-19: Are you getting the message, dad?
Each father has an opportunity to learn and grow because the past several months have brought some needed clarity in certain areas.
Video: Stay Connected to Your Daughter
Rick Wertz and his daughter Amanda describe some simple but powerful ways dads and daughters can stay connected.
Rudy’s Legacy: 25 Ways to Live Out Healthy Manhood
How do you live a life that leaves a legacy? First and foremost, you need to live according to your beliefs—healthy beliefs that encompass your faith, your family, and your friends.
For Dads at Home: 3 Ways to Check Your Anger at the Door
Feeling anger or frustration isn’t the problem. It’s what you do with those emotions that’s key.
12 Opportunities to Grow with Your Family During the COVID-19 Conundrum
Here are a few ways we all might do things differently, whether it’s a brand new activity or a re-commitment to something we have done in the past.
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.
Dad, do you shirk discipline?
A few years back, a research study on parental discipline emerged from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and here's the big headline for fathers: Dads are largely shirking discipline duties. "When it comes to disciplining the kids, there's been a role...
Treat Your Daughter Like Royalty
Insights Straight from Girls by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Dads, I'm here to give you an all-access pass behind the curtain of a girl’s heart from the vantage point of a few courageous girls who shared their thoughts. Romance and royalty. I wonder what it is...
Laugh with Them. Cry with Them.
by Jay Payleitner Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. - Romans 12:15 When our kids come to us with emotional news, why do we often reflect the opposite emotion back to them? I will never forget a brief conversation I had with my dad my...
5 Ways to Make a Difference for Your Son
According to recent research, boys in our country are "fragile." And this isn't a new idea. Similar things have been written for almost the past 30 years. When compared to girls, boys generally show much higher tendencies to struggle with issues such as: learning...
Single Fathers: Press On
by Matt Haviland Is it possible to be a great father as a single dad? The short answer is, “Absolutely!” However, since being a single parent brings a variety of outside factors and dynamics, we may have to take a slightly different approach. It will surely look...
4 Qualities of Growing Dads
Howard, who grew up without a dad, became a father in his teens and has struggled for years with the demands of raising five children, especially since he never had a male role model. Working two jobs, he was always too tired for his kids and made excuses instead of...
The Best Things to Say When Kids Are Competing
What’s the best way to handle ourselves at our kids’ sports events? Brad was frustrated by his son’s baseball schedule. After spring sign-ups, the family was notified the team would be starting “spring training” right away, and those pre-season skill-building sessions...
“Why is my father always angry?”
There’s a powerful fathering insight that some of us need to hear and take to heart, and it comes from our online search data. Quite a few people come to fathers.com using search terms like: “how do I deal with my angry dad”“why is my father always yelling at...
The Paradox of “No Guarantees”
As dads, there’s a truth we need to embrace—and the earlier in the fatherhood journey that we do it, the better: Our kids don’t come with guarantees. Some of the most powerful examples of this are found in the tragic episodes of violence that crop up in news feeds all...
Meeting Your Children’s Basic but Important Needs
For quite a few years, our staff at NCF had the privilege of interviewing dads as part of essay contests and Father’s Day celebrations around the country. Those interviews brought out the unique and often inspiring ways each man expressed his commitment to his...
A New School Year: 3 Tips for Dads
Your children just started school or are about to go back, and that should be a big deal in your mind—whether they’re starting kindergarten or the last year of graduate school. They will mature and be shaped in incredible ways during coming months, and of course you...
Intentional, Joy-Filled Fathering
When someone announces, “I’m going to be a dad!” it’s a reason to celebrate. When one father made that announcement, his wife quickly followed with a report on his recent surge of activity at home. Apparently his joy and anticipation inspired him to rearrange their...