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.
3 Benefits of One-On-One Time
We often challenge dads to commit to “alone” time with each of their children. Here are three powerful reasons …
How to Give Your Son a Positive Identity
by Tim Brown: Boys today need to be taught by their dads the true value of who they are—and affirmed for who they are.
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...
Talking About the Divorce: 5 Things Kids Need to Hear
I’ve learned some things about being a great divorced dad, especially about communication. Here are my best pieces of advice …
Believe in Miracles: 5 Lessons from Raising a Cancer Survivor
I would never say that I have handled the various challenges perfectly, but there are some important things I have learned along the way
Dads: Connect Face-to-Face
Too many families are letting the use of cell phones and other technology—especially texting—distract them from more important goals.
Raising Honorable Sons: 5 Important Keys
by Rick Johnson One of the character traits sorely lacking in our culture today is that of masculine honor. Dads who want their boys to grow up to be good men, fathers, and leaders of their family will strive to teach this powerful concept to their sons. Perhaps no...
Top Ways to Be a Successful Home-Schooling Dad
by David Serwitz All dads should be very involved in their kids' education. However, each family is different, and a growing number of families are taking full control of their kids' education by teaching them at home. The home-schooling movement has gained traction...
The Roadmap to Manhood: 5 Essentials for Raising a Boy
Every teenage boy needs to be guided into manhood, and there’s no better person to do this than a father or a male mentor.
The Power of Words and “Because I said so”
Many times, the message we’re trying to get across to a child isn’t bad; the harmful part is more about the words we choose and our tone of voice
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.
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...
One Way to Restore Hope to Your Fathering
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. What keeps a dad motivated and hopeful? That’s a key question that I’ve been pondering and researching for some time, and I’ll have more on this in the coming weeks and months. I’m more and more convinced of this: Hope is a powerful force and...
Birthday Reflections: A Father’s Legacy
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. I recently gathered with many of my children and grandchildren to celebrate a birthday: my 70th. It was a wonderful and sometimes wild time together. During the days before that celebration, I came up with a sheet of reflections that I handed...
Game Time! Have a FUN Family Christmas
Are there gamers in your family? Actually this isn’t the kind of gaming you’re probably thinking of. And it has very little (if anything) to do with phones, computers or keyboards (unless you come up with one that involves a piano). This is about playing games with...
3 Fathering Insights from Joseph
by Jeff Zaugg Have you ever had dreams or expectations that fell flat or didn’t materialize the way you hoped? That happened to my family and me a few years ago when we were on an RV trip in Texas. We had plans to spend a few days at a lake that looked beautiful on...
Perfume Day: A Powerful Dad-Daughter Holiday Tradition
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Per·fume [pərˌfyo͞om] · a fragrant liquid typically made from essential oils extracted from flowers and spices, used to impart a pleasant smell to one's body or clothes. Day [dā/] · a period of twenty-four hours as a unit of time;...
What’s Your Plan for the Holidays, Dad?
It’s the week after Thanksgiving, and in case you didn't know it, dad, last week was a test—or maybe a warm-up. How did you do? It’s good to ask yourself questions like: “Did I help make the celebration all it could be? Or did I just kind of show up and let things...
A Year-End Message from Dr. Ken Canfield
Dad: Please watch this short video and then keep reading below for a year-end update and request from me ... https://youtu.be/1jYUmQOTfEg Dads: This is an exciting time of the year. I love the Christmas season for many reasons. It's also a time to reflect and take...
3 Ways Dads Can Be Intentional on Thanksgiving
by Jay Payleitner Thanksgiving? Already? If the days are moving too quickly, that's all the more reason to approach the holidays with thoughtfulness and intentionality. I do hope you're feeling grateful. Even if you've had a tough year,...
5 Things Single Dads Should Do Consistently
by Matt Haviland As a father, I try to operate with the ever-present knowledge that my words matter, and often more than I realize. Of course, that isn’t easy; we all say things that are careless and insensitive sometimes. And often the challenges increase when you...
Dad Jokes: A Celebration
by Brock Griffin What’s the deal with dad jokes? Why are fathers, some of the most vital contributors to healthy families and communities, associated with humor like this ...? I was wondering why the frisbee kept getting bigger and bigger. Then it hit me....
Dad Tucks In
by Jay Payleitner Statistically, moms spend more time with kids than dads. To counter that inequity, let’s just make a rule. Whenever possible, Dad tucks in. The benefits are many. Mom gets a break. Dad gets a clear assignment that he can check off his...