Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield: Like a plant needs water, dad, your daughter needs your encouragement & affirmation. Nurture her heart. Help her thrive.
Three Responsibilities of a Father
What should a committed father do? Jeff Hamilton suggests all dads focus on three areas to help equip their kids for life.
Single Fathers: 3 Do’s and 2 Don’ts
From Matt Haviland: No matter what your specific challenges may be as a single father, these five foundational principles will prove helpful.
4 Habits of Dads Who GET IT
Some men just seem to know how to be great dads. How do we know? Here are four habits that showed up again and again in interviews.
Dad: Communicate High Value to Your Kids
We dads too easily let our cell phones, our work schedules or even our hobbies rule our lives at the expense of investing in our children.
“I’m Proud of You Because …”
Many of us notice our kids’ positive qualities and accomplishments, but we put words to our pride far too seldom. Here are 3 steps to take.
Laugh with Them. Cry with Them.
by Jay Payleitner: When a child reveals a clear emotion, reflect their demeanor back to them. Celebrate with them in their joy or join them in their sorrow.
Meeting Your Children’s Basic but Important Needs
With all the uncertainty in today’s world, we must not underestimate what a difference it makes when kids feel safe, loved, valued, and heard.
“Dad, I Wish We Could Talk About ________”
A group of teenagers provides insights into topics they wish they could talk about with their dads.
Hold Your Daughter Safe Through the Downpours of Life
Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield: “There’s just something about seeing a daddy protecting his little girl that has a way of reaching in and touching a deep place in all of us.”
Giving Our Kids Focused Attention
We’re thinking about them–what’s happening in their world. We’re stepping out of our own issues and concerns and being all about theirs.
The Truth Our Tears Tell
by Randell Turner: When we don’t allow ourselves to dig deep into our emotions, it robs our relationships of true intimacy and growth.
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 Give Meaningful Gifts to Your Kids
How do you decide what gifts to give your children this time of year? Maybe your family has settled into an annual routine that seems to work pretty well. Maybe the kids create lists to help you know what they want. Maybe most of the gifts have already been bought...
From Duty to Delight: Transforming Your Fatherhood
What’s the secret ingredient of good fathering? And maybe more importantly for many dads: What can you do if you never saw that kind of father as you grew up? Jeff is a committed dad who has a great perspective on fathering. He’s passionate about being the dad his two...
Time: Are You Spending or Investing?
by Ron Nichols There’s a common expression that we use all the time. It’s pretty harmless in itself, but as fathers we need to think differently with it. It’s the simple concept of spending time. We always say, “I spent a lot of time on that project,” or, “I spent 20...
Consistent Fathering: A Steady Hand in a Stormy World
by Dr. Ken Canfield Don’t worry. This isn’t about politics. It’s about being a father. The election is over and we’re all left to deal with it, whether we’re happy, a little angry, or mostly indifferent about the results. Maybe our lives will be significantly...
Dad: Water Your Daughter’s Heart with Positive Words
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Dad, how powerful are your words in your daughter’s life? As you might suspect, I believe they are extremely important. Like a plant needs water, your girl needs your encouragement and affirmation. Allow me to illustrate further...
5 Ways Dads Can Protect Their Kids from Digital Dangers
by David Tucker - Founder, DigitalParenting.com We are bombarded with new studies almost daily illustrating how technology can have life-altering adverse effects on our children. From distraction and depression to predators and pornography, technology has evolved into...
Instilling Generosity in Our Kids: Strategies for Dads
by Dr. Ken Canfield Here in the middle of October, it’s evident in many American stores that we’ve already entered the holiday season. Halloween decorations are up for some, and Christmas products have been on display for several weeks now. This is an early heads-up...
Raising a Future Adult: 3 Ideas for Dads
Dad, if your kids are still pretty young, we have some news for you: They grow up. Some dads of teenagers and adult children would tell you that this is bad news, because a young-adult child is causing them a lot of worry and stress. Other dads would say kids growing...
Keep Using Your Unique, Mysterious Secrets with Your Kids
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Last week’s blog provided you with “dad hacks” that some fathers use to make their lives easier and connect with their kids. I trust at least some of them were helpful to you or at least caused you to do some deeper thinking or brainstorming. It...
Dad Hacks: Use These, Share Yours
Many of our best insights here at NCF are research-based. We often talk about the I-CANs or the 7 Secrets of Effective Fathers, and much of what you’ll see at fathers.com is based on those frameworks and the fathering practices associated with them. We also regularly...
Three Responsibilities of a Father
by Jeff Hamilton, founder of Dad Academy® The responsibilities of being a father are more than just what you are able to provide financially or support emotionally. Research proves the importance of a father’s presence in a child’s life. Beyond being present, a...
Fit Fatherhood: Inspiring a Healthy Lifestyle for Our Kids
Disclaimer: At fathers.com, we are not fitness experts. It isn't our main focus or calling. However, maybe a lot of us would benefit from occasional reminders about taking our physical well-being seriously as dads. Of course, good health may not be the most important...