How to Be a Better Dad by David Hirsch: Kids want our time and attention and involvement, and we need to be intentional in these 4 areas.
The Very Best of Fatherhood
Three excerpts from kids’ essays highlight fathering commitment and the value of little things we do as dads.
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.
Be Intentional About Legacy
Leaving a legacy is about thinking beyond today, but being purposeful about today. Investments in your kids will have an impact for years to come.
Taylor’s Father’s Day Tribute to His Dad
Taylor has a great dad, and he probably isn’t all that different from you. The simple things you do make you a hero in your kids’ eyes.
A Father’s Legacy is the Sum of His Choices
How to Be a Better Dad by Rick Wertz – I woke up to the reality that there are many ways dads provide for their families beyond finances.
See the Glory
How to Be a Better Dad by Jay Payleitner – Be grateful for each season of fatherhood while you’re in the midst of it.
Dad, Are You REALLY Listening?
Problems arise for dads because many of us want the plain, cold facts, and our children don’t always communicate that way.
Dad: Your Most Effective Tool Is Showing Up
by Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield – What really makes a difference in being a great dad is creating positive patterns that keep repeating over time.
DAD HAIKUS: Short Poems Honoring Men Who Stand Tall
Jay Payleitner sent us a bunch of dad haikus to help you celebrate your role as a dad and give you some food for thought.
Divorced Dads: Keep Pursuing Your Kids
Wisdom from dads in response to the question: How do you help your kids know that “It’s not your fault”?
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.
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.
Ways to Fight Fathering Commitment Erosion
How do you maintain your motivation and commitment as a dad? According to our own research on fatherhood, high commitment is the number-one sign or predictor of an effective father. And if you’re reading this, then there’s a good chance that describes you—you’re a...
New Dad Feels: Enthusiasm and Cost
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...
Let’s TALK: 4 Keys to Connecting with Your Daughter
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...
What Makes Your Child Laugh?
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...
Dad: Your Faith Matters to Your Kids
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....
Encouraging Our Daughters
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...
When Your Daughter “Becomes a Woman”
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...
Mature Conversations With Your Daughter
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....
Take Your Daughter to Work
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...
Purity Conversations With Your Daughter
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...
Reflection Dad / Lunch with Daughter
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...
Daughters and “the Gender War”
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...