The holiday season is a time to build lifelong memories with your family. Traditions also help you bond and reconnect with loved ones, friends, and neighbors. Creating traditions takes just a little time and energy to plan. We’ve put together a...
We “Skipped” Christmas
by Eric Snow It was the fall of 1999. Earlier in the year my career had taken us to a new town 125 miles away from our nearest family. Valerie and I were adjusting to new jobs, and our 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter were making new friends and beginning to...
Bridging the Gap
You don't have to wait for a new school year to try something new with the students in your life. Here are five ways to build on what your children are learning in school.
Maybe Do LESS Good this Holiday Season?
In December, more people are looking for ways to give and bless others. And that’s a good thing. We can be inspired when we see others helping people. But one dad says his family is almost overwhelmed right now because of all the requests to donate money, supplies,...
Teaching Kids About Money
Teaching your children about financial responsibility is one of the most important lifelong lessons you can give - and one that may not be effectively taught in school. Consider these suggestions to improve the financial savvy of your kids.
Thanks for What? Divorced Dads & the Holidays
While it’s difficult not having a partner during the holidays, it’s particularly difficult when we don’t have our children. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the things we don’t have and the things for which we’re not thankful.
Partner With Your Child’s Teacher
Dads partner with their child's teacher by visiting at least once a month, in person or over the phone. Involved fathers help their children succeed in the classroom and do their best with their teachers.
5 Things Your Son Wants to Tell You
by Steven Cessario What did you want to tell your father when you were a teenager? Maybe you had feelings for a girl and you wanted some advice, or maybe you were frustrated with school, a friendship, or even life at home. Did you want your dad to hang with you, to...
Get Involved in Your Child’s Education
To have the best impact on your children's future, your involvement in their education needs to extend beyond their school-related learning. Whether it's in the car, on the playing field or at the dinner table, you can teach life skills that will have a positive...
How to “Build” a Better Dad: Invest in Your Sons
by Tim Wright These are interesting days to be a dad. On the one hand, research overwhelmingly tells us that dads play an essential role in the lives of their sons and daughters. On the other hand, certain voices in culture not only question the necessity of dad, but...
Surprise Your Kids!
by Jay Payleitner Once again, this week we’re featuring a chapter from It’s Great Being a Dad—written by three committed dads who frequent this space: Carey Casey, Jay Payleitner and Brock Griffin. This blog comes with a twist. After reading the good ideas below, your...
Getting Your Baby to Sleep
Remember the days of a full night sleep? Of waking up feeling well-rested and ready for the day? Oh, the good ole’ days!
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.
Daddy’s Daughter Comes of Age
Today your daughter has opportunities that mom and grandma never dreamed of. Women’s sports are making their mark. Of note are women’s basketball programs that rival the men’s. At some Big Ten universities, in fact, the women’s games are one of the hottest tickets in...
Nurturing Daughters
More and more research is finding that “a key component of a woman’s sense of worth is rooted in her experience with her father.” Cute little girls just love to be hugged by their daddies. It’s nurturing at its best. Yet before you know it, she has become more than...
Value Your Daughters’ Opinions
Nicole Gallagher was the behind-the-scenes producer for ABC News’s American Agenda. I got to know her over the phone when she was working on a piece that focused on fathering. From our first conversation, I knew this woman had a high sense of self-esteem and a...
Daughters and Sports
Here’s something that some dads rarely consider. Daughters can be athletes, too! As a matter of fact, girls need to learn about teamwork, good sportsmanship and the thrill of victory just as much as boys. According to a recent article in the Kansas City Star, high...
A Father’s Heart for Daughters
There are a lot of reasons for you to be a loving father to your daughter. She’ll have a more positive view of men in general. More self-esteem as a woman. She’s more likely to stay sexually pure until marriage and have a healthier view of sexuality. But, today,...
A (Re)Vision for Fathers & Society
by Dr. Ken Canfield I believe it’s good to plan for the future as fathers so we’re better prepared for the changes and challenges that our kids will bring our way. It’s also good to have dreams and aspirations for what we want to be, like setting high goals that...
Dad: Harness the Power of Sibling Competition
by Jay Payleitner Competition between siblings (or cousins) is a great tool for dads. While you can still outsmart them, there are all kinds of ways you can shape and motivate your kids and they won’t even know it. Got a pile of bricks that need to be moved from here...
Fathering Is Worth Doing Badly
Here at fathers.com, we want all dads to do their best. Be devoted to your children. Make them a top priority. Commit yourself to being there for them through all the ups and downs of life. Give them lots of encouragement and affirmation. Teach them skills and...
Questions to Help Dads Connect Heritage & Legacy
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Becoming a father is life-changing in many ways, as all dads know. At some point, often during the first few weeks or years of fatherhood, there is a kind of nexus between the past and the future in each man’s journey. Regarding the past,...
Tension with Our Kids’ Mom Deeply Affects Our Fathering
When there’s tension with your child’s mother, it impacts everyone. That might be an odd message to convey so soon after Valentine’s Day, but we all know what real life is like all the other days of the year that aren’t our anniversary or a special date night. And for...
A Dozen Activities to Help You Win Your Daughter’s Heart
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, here’s a reminder that the holiday isn’t reserved only for romance between sweethearts. It’s also an opportunity for a girl to be treated in an extra special way by her dad, thus...
Winning and Losing in Father-Child Contests
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Bob’s two teenage sons were challenging him in many ways physically—arm twisting and wrestling and so on—and they talked about racing him to see if they were faster. It leads to a common question for dads: What’s the impact of winning or losing...