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.
Emotional Awareness and Connection to Child – McDonald’s Commercial
If you’re a new dad, soak in all the great feelings that come with fatherhood. If you’ve been a dad for some time, try to recapture that feeling of commitment and awe in relating to your children.
One Girl’s Dream-Come-True Dad
Every year at this time, we get to judge children's essays as part of our Father of the Year Essay Contest. And just when we think we have read just about every possible insightful and inspiring expression from a child to his or her father, kids come up with things...
How Are You Using Your Super Power?
Do you ever wonder what your kids could become if they really believed they could do anything? As a father, you have great power in the words you speak to them.
The Power of the Written Word
Is there a special handwritten note from your childhood that you remember? I fondly remember my special note. It was from my father.
The Best Way to Yell at Your Child
A while back, we asked dads to send in their ideas for creative ways to show love to their children. We received some great ones, and one of our favorites is a bit unusual: A dad named Jim shows love to his kids by yelling at them!
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Welcome to the fathers.com fathering library.
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...
A Script for Your Call with Dad on Father’s Day (Or Any Day)
by Jay Payleitner Traditionally, Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for phone calls. So where does that leave dads on Father’s Day? Well, maybe fewer calls are made because talking with the old man is more frustrating than talking with mom. Too often...
Each Child Is Different! 3 Important Truths for Dads
Each of your children is unique and special. You had your first baby and had the incredible privilege of relating to and learning about that one for a few years. Then a second one came along, and that child was totally different in hundreds of ways. Maybe you had some...