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.
Video: Stay Connected to Your Daughter
Rick Wertz and his daughter Amanda describe some simple but powerful ways dads and daughters can stay connected.
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.
Dads: Apply Business Principles at Home During the Corona Quarantine
Dads, you can view this quarantine time as a problem, or you can be proactive and make the most of the time you’ve been given at home with your family.
5 Tips: Social Distance Can Mean More Father Involvement
As our lives have been altered and somewhat put on hold because of the danger, let’s view this as an opportunity to grow, bless others, and find new ways to keep strong bonds with our children.
Halftime Shows & Helping Our Children Define the Line
As fathers, we should be aware of what our children (and grandchildren) are seeing and hearing in the media and elsewhere, and we can view these events as opportunities for thoughtful discussions with them.
Video: 3 Challenges for Dads for 2020
Did you make fathering resolutions earlier this month? Consider these three suggestions from our long-time friend, Rick Wertz:
Smile, Dad!
As dads, our smiles can bestow confidence and approval upon our children. If a child knows that his dad delights in him, then already the world is a better place.
Are You Coasting, Dad?
Renew your commitment to your kids every morning. There’s so much at stake, especially when it comes to your children’s future.
A Heroic New Title for Dads
Children bring out something unique in a dad, and dads bring out something unique in their children.
Are You a Multi-tasking Dad?
Since multi-tasking can be a valuable skill in some areas of life, that can easily bleed over into areas where it isn’t always positive, like with our kids.
Use Your Words Wisely: How to Use Your Speech to Build Up Your Children
Dads, our words have so much power to heal or to hurt. But too often we forget how powerful they are.
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Welcome to the fathers.com fathering library.
Is Your Father an Example or a Lesson?
All fathers start out as sons. Many of us probably didn’t even think about becoming fathers until it was just a few years or months away. But once we did start imagining ourselves as fathers, the obvious and natural role models we thought of were our dads. By that...
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...
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...