“I set my sights on the role of Linus and did something I had never done before…” Jay Payleitner tells a story with an insight for dads.
COVID Cabin Fever? 10 Ways to Connect with Your Kids
Taking advantage of this time to engage your kids in a new way should be considered a great victory. Here are some unexpected ways to connect with your kids.
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...
Store Up Genius Points as a Dad
by Jay Payleitner As my beloved Cubs surprisingly chase a playoff spot, my mind drifts back to a summer day at Wrigley, circa 1967. I was nine years old. It was the annual Payleitner pilgrimage to the shrine at Clark and Addison. When I was growing up, my dad made...
Father’s Day: One of the BEST Ways to Spend the Day
by Jay Payleitner – Maybe Father’s Day should not be about me. And just maybe it shouldn’t be about you either.
Know When to Pick Your Battles, Dad
If you choose a battle, Dad, prepare yourself to fight that battle and win that battle.
Make Sure Your Kids Have Some Mad Skills
This week we're featuring a guest blog from Jay Payleitner—a best-selling author, speaker, and good friend of the National Center for Fathering whose latest book is 10 Conversations Kids Need to Have with Their Dad. He also has a recent one called 52 Things Sons Need...
Daddy-Daughter Date Ideas for Committed Dads
Jay Payleitner: You can’t force deep, meaningful, life-changing conversations. But if you keep showing up … they’ll happen. And you’ll be glad you were there.
Father-Child Fun with Knock-Knock Jokes
Looking back on 2010, I didn't laugh quite enough with my kids. How about you?
Which of your kids is your favorite?
Remember The Smothers Brothers variety show? It was highly rated and filled with cutting-edge comedy. TV legend has it that the NBC execs were continually censoring jokes and bits that pushed the envelope of propriety. Thinking back, it was all very tame by today's standards. (The impact of television on the degradation of the culture is a discussion we can have some other time.)
Audio: Answer Questions with Questions (like Jesus)
Kids are curious. They love to learn — especially from you, dad. And the teaching method that Jesus used still works today.
Audio: Don’t Yell over Spilled Milk
Having kids gives you multiple chances to be a real-life hero. But only if your children have learned that, in a crisis, they can trust in your unconditional love.
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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, I’d...
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...