To a child, any time can be quality time. As dads, we need to relish every moment and every opportunity to connect with our kids.
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.
A New Life and a Vote for the Future
A new baby is a reminder to step back and see our children as precious gifts, and invest ourselves with great commitment and humility.
Father’s Day: Your Kids Are Worth Your Very Best
It’s great to be honored on Father’s Day, and it’s even better if it’s also a time to connect with your kids and recommit to your role.
Staying Calm at Bedtime: A Dad Needs Tips
Bedtime is a common challenge for dads. How can we keep it peaceful and positive, and avoid making it crazy and confrontational?
Ways to Fight Fathering Commitment Erosion
You’re a devoted dad, but there’s a problem: your commitment level erodes over time. Here are three suggestions to help you fight it.
A (Re)Vision for Fathers & Society
Dr. Ken Canfield revisits some dreams and visions about the state of fatherhood, and challenges each dad to make a difference where he can.
Fathering Is Worth Doing Badly
Fatherhood is hard for many of us, but it’s very much worth the struggle. Growing as a dad is a lifelong process.
Questions to Help Dads Connect Heritage & Legacy
As dads, our present and future are critically linked to our past. Use these questions to gain perspective on your fathering.
One Way to Restore Hope to Your Fathering
All dads feel hopeless sometimes, and a great way to become a positive, confident father might seem simple, but it definitely isn’t easy.
Birthday Reflections: A Father’s Legacy
As I “mature” as a dad and granddad, I’m more and more aware that my time is limited, and I want to do all I can to leave a strong legacy.
3 Fathering Insights from Joseph
Jeff Zaugg: Sometimes our dreams and expectations fall flat, and we can all learn from the dad in the Christmas story.
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.
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...
Single Fathers: 3 Do’s and 2 Don’ts
by Matt Haviland Early in my years as a single father, I was invited by another man at work to join a small group of guys he was hosting. Immediately I felt out of place: I was the youngest guy in the group, I was the only single father, and compared to the other...
Back to School: Embrace Your Role as a Dad
Maybe your kids just started school a few days ago, or maybe where you are they start in the coming weeks. It’s a big deal for them, and it impacts the entire family. For kids, a new school year means new teachers, new classrooms, and new responsibilities. Sometimes...
Know When to Pick Your Battles, Dad
by Jay Payleitner Our kids were not fussy eaters. But one of them really, really didn’t like asparagus. Actually, none of the kids liked asparagus. But during one particular dinner, that one particular 8-year-old let it be known that there was no way he was going to...
The Myth of Quality Time
Dad: how are you doing creating quality time with your kids? For many years parents have used that phrase when referring to their best intentions with their children: spending quality time with them. Through the years there have also been pro-fatherhood campaigns that...
Connecting Through Fashion: Understanding Your Daughter’s Unique Style
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Dad, you’ve surely noticed some things about your daughter that you may never fully understand, often due to the built-in differences between male and female. And as a committed and dialed-in GirlDad, part of connecting with your...
Walking with Your Kids Through Tragedies
Our world—and here in the U.S., our nation—has endured another tragedy in last weekend’s assassination attempt and the death or injury of bystanders. You’ve probably heard and seen a lot about it, and details will continue to emerge. Sadly, this is one more incident...
4 Habits of Dads Who GET IT
Do you get it dad? Are you actively doing the habits associated with great fathering? Here at fathers.com, we put a lot of stock in empirical research about fathering. Much of our research is quantitative: social science data that can be measured, categorized and...
A Summer Fun Checklist for Dads
by Dr. Ken Canfield Happy 4th, dads! I hope you’re able to enjoy a long weekend celebrating our nation’s freedom (if you’re in the U.S.). There are many good reasons to look forward to Independence Day, and I hope you go all out with celebrating and enjoying time with...
A New Life and a Vote for the Future
by Dr. Ken Canfield My family is celebrating a new life with the birth of another grandchild. That makes sixteen grandkids total, although it’s the first child for one of my adult children—the last of the five to become a parent. It’s an incredible and joyful time,...
Father’s Day: Your Kids Are Worth Your Very Best
by Dr. Ken Canfield Dad: It’s Father's Day! How will you celebrate? There are probably as many options as there are unique dads. But we all share a few things in common, and there are positive things for all of us to keep in mind. This Father’s Day, I hope you feel...
Honoring Your Dad is a Privilege
The U.S. Census Bureau regularly releases interesting statistics related to various holidays. For Father's Day, many of them focus on gifts to get for a dad: As of 2021, there were 6,000 men's clothing stores in the United States, 15,000 hardware stores, and 20,000...