Fathers are very important role models for their children, and this is very true when it comes to expressing emotions.
Be a Life-giving Voice in Her Head
by Michelle Watson Canfield: As her dad, your words can either suck life out of her or they can breathe life into her. It’s your choice.
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
5 Ways to Support Your Student During Finals Week
Finals week can be stressful for a student! But you as a dad can help by doing a few simple things to let them know you care and you believe in them.
Messages on Mirrors: One Great Way to Affirm Your Daughter
by Michelle Watson, PhD, LPC I forget what age I was when I heard my first nursery rhyme, but there is one in particular that is burrowed deep into my memory bank like a steel nail into softened wood: “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” This...
Connect Every Day: Three ‘Dad’ Things to Do Today
Here are things you can do today to build the father-child relationship you want and your child needs.
241 Love Notes: Romantic Gestures for Husbands (and Dads)
What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever heard about a husband doing for his wife? One of the best happened about three years ago, from a couple in Canada, Devin and Crystal. (And it wasn’t even on Valentine’s Day.) Devin is a Navy seaman who said good-bye to his...
6 Tips to Connect With Your Teen Daughter
Download Tools for the Journey: 6 Tips to Connect With Your Teen Daughter from NCF now to get 6 great tips on how to keep the line of communication open between the two of you!
5 Ways to be a Great Dad
by Steve Huff Last summer I was selected as the 2014 Kansas City Father of the Year. What a humbling and surprising experience! Braxton, my 15 year old son, had written an essay for his English class titled “What my Father Means to Me,” which was chosen as the ninth...
The Power of “I Love You” from Dad
Here at the National Center for Fathering, when speaking to groups of men we’ll often conduct some informal research about affirmation and love from fathers. Typically we’ll ask, “Please raise your hand if your father told you that he loved you on a consistent basis.”...
Emotional Awareness and Connection to Child – The Patriot
A father’s connections to his children run deep, and often it takes perseverance to see the fruit of our efforts.
Emotional Awareness and Connection to Child – 8 Seconds
Your kids need to hear you say, “I love you.” Say it today. Too many dads have to live with the regret of not following through.
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.
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...
Daughters and “The Real Thing”
How would you train someone to spot a counterfeit bill? Well, you’d probably make them aware of the common methods of copying the original, and you’d point out telltale signs of fakery. But most of all, you’d want that person to be very, very familiar with the real...